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CAEOLINE    HEESCHEL 


MEMOIR    AND    CORRESPONDENCE 


OF 


CAKOLINE    HEKSCHEL. 


MRS.  JOHN  HERSCHEL. 


WITH    PORTRAITS. 


LONDON : 
JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 

1876. 

[Eiyht  of  Translation  Reserved.] 


LONDON: 
BRADBURY,  ACNEW,  &  CO.,   PRINTERS,   WH1TEFRIARS. 


INTEODUCTION. 

FAMILIAR  to  all  as  is  the  name  this  volume  bears, 
it  is  not  without  hesitation  that  the  following  pages 
are  given  to  the  world.  To  subject  the  memorials  of 
a  deeply  earnest  life  to  the  eyes  of  a  generation  over- 
crowded with  books,  raises  a  certain  amount  of 
diffidence. 

Of  Caroline  Herschel  herself  most  people  will  plead 
ignorance  without  feeling  ashamed,  and  yet  may  we 
not  assert  that  Caroline  Herschel  is  well  worth 
knowing. 

Great  men  and  great  causes  have  always  some 
helper  of  whom  the  outside  world  knows  but  little. 
There  always  is,  and  always  has  been,  some  human 
being  in  whose  life  their  roots  have  been  nourished. 
Sometimes  these  helpers  have  been  men,  sometimes 
they  have  been  women,  who  have  given  themselves  to 
help  and  to  strengthen  those  called  upon  to  be  leaders 
and  workers,  inspiring  them  with  courage,  keeping 
faith  in  their  own  idea  alive,  in  days  of  darkness, 

When  all  the  world  seems  adverse  to  desert. 

These  helpers  and  sustainers,  men  or  women,  have 
all  the  same  quality  in  common — absolute  devotion  and 


10634 


vi  Introduction. 

unwavering  faith  in  the  individual  or  in  the  cause. 
Seeking  nothing  for  themselves,  thinking  nothing  of 
themselves,  they  have  all  an  intense  power  of  sym- 
pathy, a  noble  love  of  giving  themselves  for  the  ser- 
vice of  others,  which  enables  them  to  transfuse  the 
force  of  their  own  personality  into  the  object  to  which 
they  dedicate  their  powers. 

Of  this  noble  company  of  unknown  helpers  Caroline 
Herschel  was  one. 

She  stood  beside  her  brother,  "William  Herschel, 
sharing  his  labours,  helping  his  life.  In  the  days  when 
he  gave  up  a  lucrative  career  that  he  might  devote 
himself  to  astronomy,  it  was  owing  to  her  thrift  and 
care  that  he  was  not  harassed  by  the  rankling  vexa- 
tions of  money  matters.  She  had  been  his  helper  and 
assistant  in  the  days  when  he  was  a  leading  musician  ; 
she  became  his  helper  and  assistant  when  he  gave  him- 
self up  to  astronomy.  By  sheer  force  of  will  and  devoted 
affection,  she  learned  enough  of  mathematics  and  of 
methods  of  calculation,  which  to  those  unlearned  seem 
mysteries,  to  be  able  to  commit  to  writing  the  results  of 
his  researches.  She  became  his  assistant  in  the  work- 
shop ;  she  helped  him  to  grind  and  polish  his  mirrors  ; 
she  stood  beside  his  telescope  in  the  nights  of  mid- 
winter, to  write  down  his  observations,  when  the  very 
ink  was  frozen  in  the  bottle.  She  kept  him  alive  by  her 
care ;  thinking  nothing  of  herself,  she  lived  for  him. 
She  loved  him,  and  believed  in  him,  and  helped  him, 


Introduction.  vii 

with  all  her  heart  and  with  all  her  strength.  She 
might  have  become  a  distinguished  woman  on  her 
own  account,  for  with  the  "seven-foot  Newtonian 
sweeper "  given  to  her  by  her  brother,  she  discovered 
eight  comets  first  and  last.  But  the  pleasure  of  seek- 
ing and  finding  for  herself  was  scarcely  tasted.  She 
"minded  the  heavens"  for  her  brother;  she  worked  for 
him,  not  for  herself,  and  the  unconscious  self-denial 
with  which  she  gave  up  her  own  pleasure  in  the 
use  of  her  "  sweeper,"  is  not  the  least  beautiful 
feature  in  her  life.  She  must  have  been  witty  and 
amusing,  to  judge  from  her  books  of  "  Eeeollections." 
When  past  eighty,  she  wrote  what  she  called  "  a  little 
history  of  my  life  from  1772 — 1778  "  for'her  nephew, 
Sir  John  Herschel,  the  son  of  her  brother  William, 
that  he  might  know  something  of  his  excellent  grand- 
parents, as  well  as  of  the  immense  difficulties  which 
his  father  had  to  surmount  in  his  life  and  labours.  It 
was  not  to  tell  about  herself,  but  of  others,  that  she 
wrote  them.  There  is  not  any  good  biography  of  Sir 
William  Herschel,  and  the  incidental  revelations  of 
him  in  these  Eeeollections  are  valuable.  They  show 
how  well  he  deserved  the  love  and  devotion  she 
rendered  to  him.  Great  as  were  his  achievements  in 
science,  and  his  genius,  they  were  borne  up  and 
ennobled  by  the  beauty  and  worth  of  his  own  inner 
life. 

These  memorials  of  his  father  and  his  aunt  were 


viii  Introduction. 

much  valued  by  Sir  John  Hcrschel,  and  they  are 
carefully  preserved  by  the  family  along  with  her 
letters.  The  perusal  of  them  is  like  reading  of  another 
world.  The  glimpses  of  the  life  of  a  soldier's  family 
in  Hanover  at  the  time  the  Seven  Years'  War  was 
going  on  are  very  touching.  Both  father  and  mother 
must  have  been  remarkable  persons,  and  the  sterling 
quality  of  character  developed  in  William  and  Caroline 
Herschel  was  evidently  derived  from  them.  All  the 
family  seem  to  have  been  endowed  with  something 
like  touches  of  genius,  but  William  and  Caroline  were 
the  only  two  wrho  had  the  strong  back-bone  of  per- 
severance and  high  principle  which  made  genius  in 
them  fulfil  its  perfect  work. 

Her  own  recollections  go  back  to  the  Great  Earth- 
quake at  Lisbon ;  she  lived  through  the  American 
War,  the  old  French  Revolution,  the  rise  and  fall  of 
Napoleon,  and  all  manner  of  lesser  events  and  wars. 
She  saw  all  the  improvements  and  inventions,  from 
the  lumbering  post  waggon  in  which  she  made  her 
first  journey  from  Hanover,  to  the  railroads  and 
electric  telegraphs  which  have  intersected  all  Europe, 
for  she  lived  well  down  into  the  reign  of  Victoria. 
But  her  work  of  "  minding  the  heavens  "  with  her 
brother  engrossed  all  her  thoughts,  and  she  scarcely 
mentions  any  public  event. 

Her  own  astronomical  labours  were  remarkable,  and 
in  her  later  life  she  met  with  honour  and  recognition 


Introduction.  ix 

from  learned  men  and  learned  societies ;  but  her 
dominant  idea  was  always  the  same — "  I  am  nothing, 
I  have  done  nothing ;  all  I  am,  all  I  know,  I  owe 
to  my  brother.  I  am  only  the  tool  which  he  shaped 
to  his  use — a  well- trained  puppy- dog  would  have 
done  as  much.'-'  Every  word  said  in  her  own  praise 
seemed  to  be  so  much  taken  away  from  the  honour 
due  to  her  brother.  She  had  lived  so  many  years  in 
companionship  with  a  truly  great  man,  and  in  the 
presence  of  the  unfathomable  depths  of  the  starry 
heavens,  that  praise  of  herself  seemed  childish 
exaggeration. 

The  Letters  and  Eecollections  contained  in  this 
volume  will  show  what  she  really  was.  She  would 
have  been  very  angry  if  she  could  have  foreseen  their 
publication,  yet,  in  consideration  of  the  great  interest 
they  possess,  we  hope  to  be  justified  for  making 
known  to  the  world  such  an  example  of  self-sacrifice 
and  perseverance  under  difficulties. 

The  spelling  has  been  modernised, — an  old  lady 
who  had  discovered  eight  comets  might  be  allowed 
to  spell  in  her  own  way ;  but  it  is  pleasanter  to  read 
what  is  written  in  an  accustomed  manner.  A  word 
has  been  altered  occasionally  where  the  sense  required 
it,  otherwise  no  change  has  been  made,  and  as  little 
has  been  added  as  was  possible,  and  only  with  the 
view  of  giving  a  slight  connecting  thread  of  narrative. 

If  these  Eecollections   convey   as  much   pleasure 


x  Introduction. 

to  the  readers  of  them  as  they  have  given  to  the 
Editor,  they  will  feel  that  they  have  gained  another 
friend  in  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel. 

December,  1875. 


NOTE. 


WHEN  past  ninety  a  second  memoir  was  undertaken,  and 
in  order  to  encourage  her  to  continue  it  her  niece,  Lady 
Herschel,  wrote  to  her  as  follows : —  .  .  .  .  "  Now,  my 
dearest  aunf,  you  must  let  me  make  an  earnest  petition 
to  you,  and  that  is,  that  you  will  go  on  with  your  memoir 
until  you  leave  England  and  take  up  your  residence  in 
Hanover.  How  can  I  tell  you  how  much  my  heart  is  set 
upon  the  accomplishment  of  this  work  ?  .  .  .  .  You  know 
you  cannot  be  idle  while  you  live.  But  indeed,  if  I  could 
tell  you  the  influence  which  a  short  account  by  a  stranger 
of  your  labours  with  your  dear  Brother  had  upon  me  when 
a  child,  and  of  my  choosing  you  (then  so  unknown  to  me) 
as  my  guiding  star  and  example,  you  would  understand  how 
the  possession  of  such  a  record  by  your  own  hand  would 
make  me  almost  believe  in  auguries  and  presentiments,  and 
perhaps  inspire  some  future  generations  more  worthily,  as 
the  record  would  be  more  genuine." 

August  9,  1841. 

May  we  not  echo  this  hope,  and  feel  indeed  that  "SHE 

BEING  DEAD   YET   SPEAKETH." 

M.  C.  H. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

EARLY  LIFE  IN  HANOVER — MUSICAL  TALENTS  OF  HER  BROTHER  WIL- 
LIAM— MARRIAGE  OF  HER  SISTER — THE  REGIMENT  ORDERED  TO 
ENGLAND — HER  FATHER'S  INDUSTRY — TYPHUS  FEVER — CONFIRMA- 
TION— DEATH  OF  FATHER — ACCOMPANIES  WILLIAM  TO  ENGLAND  .  1 

CHAPTER  II. 

LIFE  IN  BATH — HEIMWEHE— THE  MIGHTY  TELESCOPE — LAST  PERFORM- 
ANCE  IN  PUBLIC — CASTING  THE  GREAT  MIRROR — WILLIAM  HERSCHEL 
GOES  TO  LONDON  —  MADE  ROYAL  ASTRONOMER — REMOVAL  TO 
DATCHET  —  ACCIDENTS — GRANT  OF  £2,000  —  LIFE  AT  SLOUGH  — 
LETTERS  FROM  HANOVER — DISCOVERY  OF  A  COMET  .  .  .  .  29 

CHAPTER  III. 

WILLIAM  HERSCHEL'S  MARRIAGE— DISCOVERY  OF  THE  EIGHTH  COMET — 
EXTRACTS  FROM  DAY-BOOK  AND  DIARY — VISIT  TO  BATH — RETURN 
TO  SLOUGH — RESIDES  AT  UPTON — ILLNESS— FEAR  OF  BLINDNESS  .  78 

CHAPTER  IV. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY  —  WILLIAM  HERSCHEL  KNIGHTED  —  FAILING 
HEALTH  —  HER  BROTHER'S  PORTRAIT  —  DEATH  OF  ALEXANDER — 
DEATH  OF  SIR  WILLIAM  —  HER  RETURN  TO  HANOVER  —  RECOL- 
LECTIONS WRITTEN  AT  HANOVER 118 

CHAPTER  V. 

RETROSPECTION — LIFE  IN  HANOVER — HER  HUMILITY — HER  WORKS — 
MADE  HON.  MEMBER  OF  THE  ROYAL  ASTRONOMICAL  SOCIETY 


xii  Contents. 


PAGE 

— HER  SWEEPINGS — BLANK  IN  HER  LIFE  AT  HANOVER — LETTERS 
TO  LADY  HERSCHEL — LETTERS  BETWEEN  HER  AND  HER  NEPHEW 
— VISIT  FROM  HER  NEPHEW — FINISHES  HER  CATALOGUE  OF  THE 
NEBULZB 141 

CHAPTER  VI. 

LIFE  IN  HANOVER  CONTINUED  —  LETTERS  BETWEEN  HER  AND  HER 
NEPHEW — HER  WILL — FIRST  CHAPTER  OF  HER  HISTORY — RECEIVES 
THE  GOLD  MEDAL  OF  THE  ROYAL  ASTRONOMICAL  SOCIETY — FEAR- 
FUL STORM — HER  PORTRAIT — HER  NEPHEW'S  MARRIAGE — PREPA- 
RATION FOR  HER  DEATH— PAGANINI — HER  NEPHEW  KNIGHTED — 
LADY  HERSCHEL'S  DEATH — RETROSPECTION 196 

CHAPTER  VII. 

LETTERS  FROM  THE  CAPE — HON.  MEMBER  OF  THE  ROYAL  ASTRONOMICAL 
SOCIETY — CATALOGUE  OF  OMITTED  STARS — LETTERS — SATURN  AND 
HIS  SIXTH  SATELLITE  —  HER  NEPHEW'S  VISIT — HON.  MEMBER  OF 
THE  ROYAL  IRISH  ACADEMY— EXTRACTS  FROM  DAY-BOOK — ANEC- 
DOTE OF  THE  OLD  TELESCOPE  —  CHRISTMAS  IN  HANOVER — GOLD 
MEDAL  FROM  THE  KING  OF  PRUSSIA  —  DECLINING  STRENGTH  — 
DEATH — FUNERAL 262 


TO  BINDER. 

Portrait  of  Caroline  Herschel.    Frontispiece. 

Portrait  of  Sir  William  Herschel,  after  the  original  by  Abbott,  in 

the  National  Portrait  Gallery,  to  face  p.  118. 
Herschel's  Forty-foot  Telescope,  to  face  p.  29. 


CAROLINE   HEESCHEL. 


CHAPTER.  I. 

RECOLLECTIONS   OF   EAELY   LIFE    IX    HANOVER. 

CAROLINE  LUCRETIA  HERSCHEL  was  born  at  Han- 
over on  the  16th  of  March,  1750.  She  was  the  eighth 
•child  and  fourth  daughter  of  Isaac  Herschel,  by  Anna 
Use  Moritzen,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  August, 
1732.  The  family  consisted  of  ten  children,  four  of 
whom  died  in  early  childhood. 

A  memorandum  in  the  handwriting  of  Isaac 
Herschel,  transcribed  by  his  daughter  in  the  original 
German  at  the  beginning  of  her  Recollections,  traces 
the  family  back  to  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  about  which  time,  it  appears  that  three 
brothers  Herschel  left  Moravia  on  account  of  their  re- 
ligion (which  was  Protestant),  and  became  possessors  of 
land  in  Saxony.  One  of  these  brothers,  Hans,  was  a 
brewer  at  Pirna,  a  little  town  two  miles  from  Dresden, 
and  the  father  of  two  sons,  one  of  whom,  Abraham  by 
name,  was  born  in  1651,  was  the  father  of  the  above- 
mentioned  Isaac,  and  the  grandfather  of  Caroline 


2  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1675-1731. 

Lucretia  Herschel.  Abraham  Herschel  was  employed  in 
the  royal  gardens  at  Dresden,  he  received  commissions 
from  various  quarters  on  account  of  his  taste  and  skill 
as  a  landscape  gardener.  Of  his  four  children,  Euse- 
bius,  the  eldest,  appears  to  have  kept  up  little  or  no  in- 
tercourse with  his  family  after  the  father's  death  in  1 71 8. 
The  second  child,  Apollonia,  married  a  landed  proprie- 
tor, Herr  von  Thiimer.  Benjamin,  the  second  son,  died 
in  his  third  year ;  and  Isaac,  the  youngest,  was  born 
14th  of  January,  1707,  and  was  thus  an  orphan  at 
the  early  age  of  eleven  years.  His  parents  wished 
him  to  be  a  gardener  like  his  father,  but  a  passionate 
love  of  music  led  him  to  take  every  opportunity  of 
practising  on  the  violin,  besides  studying  music  under 
a  hautboy-player  in  the  royal  band.  When  he  was 
about  one  and  twenty  he  resolved  to  seek  his  fortune, 
and  went  to  Berlin,  where  the  style  of  hautboy  play- 
ing was  so  little  to  his  taste  that  he  soon  left  it,  and 
went  to  Potsdam,  where  he  studied  for  a  year  under 
the  celebrated  Cappell  Meister  Pabrich,  the  means 
for  so  doing  being  supplied  by  his  mother  and  sister  ; 
his  brother,  as  he  quaintly  remarks,  contenting  him- 
self with  writing  him  letters  in  praise  of  the  virtue 
of  economy!  In  July,  1731,  he  went  to  Brunswick, 
and  in  August  to  Hanover,  where  he  at  once  obtained 
an  engagement  as  hautboy-player  in  the  band  of  the 
Guards,  and  in  the  August  following  he  married  as 
above  stated. 


Cn.\i>.  i.j  Early  Recollections.  3 

The  family  group  to  which  Miss  Her^hePs  auto- 
biography introduces  us  consisted  of — 

1.  Sophia  Elizabeth,  born   in    1733.     [Afterwards 
Mrs.  Griesbach.] 

2.  Henry  Anton  Jacob,  born  20th  November,  1734. 
(4)  3.  Frederic  William,  born  15th  November,  1738. 
(6)  4.    John    Alexander,    born    13th    November, 

1745. 

(8)  5.  Carolina  Lucretia,  born  16th  March,  1750; 
and 

(10)  6.  The  little  Dietrich,  born  13th  September, 
1755. 

With  the  exception  of  frequent  absences  from 
home  which  attendance  on  a  regiment  made  inevit- 
able, the  family  life  went  on  smoothiy  enough  for 
some  years,  the  father  taking  every  opportunity, 
when  at  home,  to  cultivate  the  musical  talents  of 
his  sons,  who  depended  for  the  ordinary  routine  of 
education  on  the  garrison  school,  to  which  all  the 
children  went  from  the  age  of  two  to  fourteen. 
Here  the  splendid  talents  of  William  early  dis- 
played themselves,  and  the  master  confessed  that  the 
pupil  had  soon  got  beyond  his  teacher.  Although 
four  years  younger  than  Jacob,  when  the  two  brothers 
had  lessons  in  French,  the  younger  had  mastered  the 
language  in  half  the  time  needed  by  the  elder,  and 
he  in  some  measure  satisfied  his  eager  desire  for  know- 

B   2 


4  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1743-1753. 

ledge  by  attending  out  of  school  hours  to  learn  all 
that  his  master  could  teach  of  Latin  and  arithmetic. 
At  fourteen  he  was  an  excellent  performer  both  on 
the  oboe  and  violin. 

The  first  serious  calamity  recorded  was  the  irrepar- 
able injury  caused  to  the  father's  health  by  the  hard- 
ships of  war.  After  the  battle  of  Dettingen  (June 
16th,  1743)  the  troops  remained  all  night  on  the  field, 
which  was  soaked  by  heavy  rains.  The  unfortunate 
bandmaster  la}7  in  a  wet  furrow,  which  caused  a 
complete  loss  of  the  use  of  his  limbs  for  some  time, 
and  left  him  with  an  impaired  constitution  and  an 
asthmatical  o.ffection  which  afflicted  him  to  the  end 
of  his  life.  During  the  dark  times  of  the  Seven 
Years'  War,  the  little  Caroline,  then  her  mother's  sole 
companion,  often  heard  this  grievous  trouble  spoken 
of,  and  the  shadow  of  it  cast  a  gloom  over  her  childish 
recollections,  most  of  which  are  of  a  sombre  character. 
At  three  years  old  she  was  a  deeply  interested  partici- 
pator in  all  the  family  concerns,  and  of  that  period  she 
writes  : — 


"  It  must  have  been  in  1753  when  my  brother  [Jacob, 
aged  19]  was  chosen  organist  to  the  new  organ  in  the 
garrison  church ;  for  I  remember  my  mother  taking  me 
with  her  the  first  Sunday  on  its  opening,  and  that  before 
she  had  time  to  shut  the  pew  door,  I  took  fright  at  the 
beginning  of  a  preludiimi  with  a  full  accompaniment,  so  that 
I  flew  out  of  church  and  home  again.  I  also  remember  to 


CHAP,  i.]  Early  Recollections.  5 

have  seen  my  brother  William  confirmed  in  his  new  obb'i- 
sten  uniform." 

The  next  interesting  event  was  the  marriage  of  the 
eldest  daughter,  who  was  living  with  a  family  at 
Brunswick,  and  whom  her  sister  says  she  had  never  seen 
until  she  came  home  to  be  married.  The  bridegroom, 
Mr.  Griesbach,  also  a  musician  in  the  Guard,  found  no 
favour  in  the  eyes  of  his  sister-in-law,  and  it  is  evi- 
dently some  satisfaction  to  her  to  have  been  told  that 
her  father  never  cordially  approved  the  match, 

"  for  ...  he  knew  him  at  least  to  be  but  a  very  middling 
musician,  and  this  alone  would  have  been  enough  for  my 
father's  disapprobation." 

Great  preparations  were  made  for 

"  providing  and  furnishing  a  habitation  (which  happened  to 
be  in  the  same  house  where  my  parents  lived),  which  they 
did  in  as  handsome  a  manner  as  their  straitened  income 
would  allow,  and  to  which  my  dear  brothers  took  delight  in 
contributing  to  the  best  of  their  ability.  I  remember  how 
delighted  I  was  when  they  were  showing  me  the  pretty 
framed  pictures  with  which  my  brother  William  had  decorated 
his  sister's  room,  and  heard  my  mother  relate  afterwards, 
that  the  brothers  had  taken  two  months'  pay  in  advance  for 
the  wedding  entertainment.  .  .  Though  for  stocking  a  family 
with  household  linen  my  mother  was  prepared  at  all  times, 
as  perhaps  never  a  more  diligent  spinner  was  heard  of ;  but 
to  keep  pace  with  the  wishes  of  my  dear  brothers,  by  whom 
my  sister  was,  as  well  as  by  her  parents,  exceedingly 
beloved — the  whole  family  were  kept  for  a  time  in  an 


6  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.       [1753-1755. 

agreeable  bustle  to  see  that  nothing  that  could  give  either 
pleasure  or  comfort  might  be  wanting  in  her  future  estab- 
lishment. .  .  .  The  fete  (without  which  it  would  have 
been  scandalous  in  those  days  to  get  married)  ended  with  a 
ball,  at  which  I  remember  to  have  been  dancing  among  the 
rest  without  a  partner." 

A  little  later,  when  war  troubles  broke  up  the 
household,  and  the  bride  returned  to  her  mother,  we 
are  told : 

"  my  sister  was  not  of  a  very  patient  temper,  and  could  not 
be  reconciled  to  have  children  about  her,  and  I  was  mostly, 
when  not  in  school,  sent  with  Alexander  to  play  on  the 
walls  or  with  the  neighbour's  children,  in  which  I  seldom 
could  join,  and  often  stood  freezing  on  shore  to  see  my 
brother  skating  on  the  Stadtgraben  (town  ditch)  till  he  chose 
to  go  home.  In  short,  there  was  no  one  who  cared  anything 
about  me." 

The  earthquake  which  destroyed  Lisbon  on  the  1st 
November  1755,  was  strongly  felt  at  Hanover,  and 
became  closely  associated  in  the  poor  little  girl's  mind 
with  the  trials  and  troubles  which  shortly  afterwards 
fell  upon  the  family.  She  says  : — 

"  One  morning  early  I  was  with  my  father  and  mother 
alone  in  the  room,  the  latter  putting  my  clothes  on,  when 
all  at  once  I  saw  both  standing  aghast  and  speechless  before 
me  ;  at  the  same  time  my  brothers,  my  sister,  and  Griesbach 
came  running  in,  all  being  panic-struck  by  the  earthquake." 

For  a  little  while  the  family  enjoyed  a  peaceful 
interval,  during  which  the  extraordinary  proficiency  of 


CHAP,  i.j  Early  Recollections,  7 

his  two  eldest  sons  was  a  growing  source  of  -delight 
to  the  father,  whose  utmost  ambition  was  to  see  them 
become  accomplished  musicians ;  while  the  wider 
flights  of  William  met  with  his  most  cordial  sym- 
pathy. The  following  passage  is  one  of  the  very 
few  which  reflect  the  brighter  side  of  the  picture : — 

"  My  brothers  were  often  introduced  as  solo  performers 
and  assistants  in  the  orchestra  of  the  court,  and  I  re- 
member that  I  was  frequently  prevented  from  going  to 
sleep  by  the  lively  criticism  on  music  on  coming  from  a 
concert,  or  conversations  on  philosophical  subjects  which 
lasted  frequently  till  morning,  in  which  my  father  was  a 
lively  partaker  and  assistant  of  my  brother  William  by 

contriving  self-made  instruments Often  I  would 

keep  myself  awake  that  I  might  listen  to  their  animating 
remarks,  for  it  made  me  so  happy  to  see  them  so  happy.  But 
generally  their  conversation  would  branch  out  on  philo- 
sophical subjects,  when  my  brother  William  and  my  father 
often  argued  with  such  warmth,  that  my  mother's  in- 
terference became  necessary,  when  the  names  Leibnitz, 
Newton,  and  Euler  sounded  rather  too  loud  for  the  repose 
of  her  little  ones,  who  ought  to  be  in  school  by  seven  in 
the  morning.  But  it  seems  that  on  the  brothers  retiring 
to  their  own  room,  where  they  shared  the  same  bed,  my 
brother  William  had  still  a  great  deal  to  say ;  and  frequently 
it  happened  that  when  he  stopped  for  an  assent  or  reply,  he 
found  his  hearer  was  gone  to  sleep,  and  I  suppose  it  was 
not  till  then  that  he  bethought  himself  to  do  the  same. 

"  The  recollection  of  these  happy  scenes  confirms  me  in 
the  belief,  that  had  my  brother  William  not  then  been  inter- 
rupted in  his  philosophical  pursuits,  we  should  have  had 
much  earlier  proofs  of  his  inventive  genius.  My  father 


8  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.       [1755-1756. 

was  a  great  admirer  of  astronomy,  and  had  some  knowledge 
of  that  science ;  for  I  remember  his  taking  me,  on  a  clear 
frosty  night,  into  the  street,  to  make  me  acquainted  with 
several  of  the  most  beautiful  constellations,  after  we  had 
been  gazing  at  a  comet  which  was  then  visible.  And  I 
well  remember  with  what  delight  he  used  to  assist  my 
brother  William  in  his  various  contrivances  in  the  pursuit 
of  his  philosophical  studies,  among  which  was  a  neatly 
turned  4-inch  globe,  upon  which  the  equator  and  ecliptic 
were  engraved  by  my  brother." 

Towards  the  end  of  the  year  1755  the  regiment 
was  under  orders  for  England,  and  the  little  house- 
hold was  at  once  broken  up.  A  place  in  the  court 
orchestra  had  been  promised  to  Jacob,  but  the  va- 
cancy did  not,  unfortunately,  occur  in  time,  and 
he  was  obliged  to  smother  his  discontent,  lower  his 
ambition,  and  accept  a  place  in  the  band  with  his 
younger  brother.  At  length  the  sad  hour  of  parting 
arrived : — 

"  In  our  room  all  was  mute  but  in  hurried  action ;  my 
dear  father  was  thin  and  pale,  and  niy  brother  William 
almost  equally  so,  for  he  was  of  a  delicate  constitution  and 
just  then  growing  very  fast.  Of  my  brother  Jacob  I  only 
remember  his  starting  difficulties  at  everything  that  was 
done  for  him,  as  my  father  was  busy  to  see  that  they  were 
equipped  with  the  necessaries  for  a  march.  .  .  .  The 
whole  town  was  in  motion  with  drums  beating  to  inarch : 
the  troops  hallooed  and  roared  in  the  streets,  the  drums 
beat  louder,  Griesbach  came  to  join  my  father  and  brothers, 
and  in  a  moment  they  all  were  gone.  My  sister  fled  to- 


CHAP.  I.]  Early  Recollections.  9 

her  own  room.  Alexander  went  with  many  others  to 
follow  their  relatives  for  some  miles  to  take  a  last  look.  I 
found  myself  now  with  my  mother  alone  in  a  room  all  in 
confusion,  in  one  corner  of  which  my  little  brother  Dietrich 
lay  in  his  cradle ;  my  tears  flowed  like  my  mother's,  but 
neither  of  us  could  speak.  I  snatched  a  large  handkerchief 
of  my  father's  from  a  chair  and  took  a  stool  to  place  it  at 
my  mother's  feet,  on  which  I  sat  down,  and  put  into  her 
hands  one  corner  of  the  handkerchief,  reserving  the  opposite 
one  for  myself;  this  little  action  actually  drew  a  momen- 
tary smile  into  her  face  .  .  .  My  father  left  half  his 
pay  for  our  support  in  the  hands  of  an  agent  in  Hanover, 
but  Griesbach,  instead  of  following  my  father's  example, 
gave  up  his  lodging  and  brought  his  wife  with  her  goods 
and  chattels  to  her  mother,  which  arrangement  was  no 
small  addition  to  our  uncomfortable  situation." 

Even  at  this  early  age,  it  is  not  difficult  to  trace 
in  these  childish  recollections  the  influence  of  that 
intense  affection  for  her  brother  William  which 
made  him'  more  and  more  the  centre  of  all  her 
interests ;  next  to  him,  her  father  filled  a  large 
place  in  her  heart.  Of  the  long  year  of  separation, 
nothing  is  recorded.  At  last  Jacob  arrived  (having 
"  out  of  aggravation "  got  permission  to  resign  his 
place  when  the  hoped-for  vacancy  in  the  orchestra 
had  been  otherwise  filled)  he  had  travelled  by  post, 
while  his  father  and  brother,  "  who  never  forsook 
him  for  self-consideration,"  were  still  toiling  wearily 
on  the  march  home. 

"My  mother    being    very   busy    preparing    dinner,  had 


10  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1756-1757. 

suffered  me  to  go  all  alone  to  the  parade  to  meet  my 
father,  but  I  could  not  find  him  anywhere,  nor  anybody 
whom  I  knew ;  so  at  last,  when  nearly  frozen  to  death,  I 
came  home  and  found  them  all  at  table.  My  dear  brother 
William  threw  down  his  knife  and  fork,  and  ran  to 
welcome  and  crouched  down  to  me,  which  made  me 
forget  all  my  grievances.  The  rest  were  so  happy  .  .  at 
seeing  one  another  again,  that  my  absence  had  never 
been  perceived." 

The  visit  to  England  appears  to  have  further  de- 
veloped the  love  of  show  and  luxury  which  painfully 
distinguished  Jacob,  who  must  needs  import  speci- 
mens of  English  goods  and  English  tailoring,  while 
all  that  William  brought  back  was  a  copy  of  Locke 
on  the  Human  Understanding,  the  purchase  of  which 
absorbed  all  his  private  means,  as  he  never  willingly 
asked  his  father  for  a  single  penny.  But  it  was  be- 
coming apparent  that  he  had  not  the  physical  strength 
to  continue  in  the  Guard  during  war  time,  and  after 
the  disastrous  campaign  of  1757,  and  the  defeat  at 
Hastenbeck,*  26th  July,  1757  (between  20  and  30 
miles  from  Hanover),  his  parents  resolved  to  remove 
him — a  step  apparently  attended  by  no  small  diffi- 
culty, as  our  faithful  chronicler  narrates  : — 

"  I  can  now  comprehend  the  reason  why  we  little  ones 
were  continually  sent  out  of  the  way,  and  why  I  had  only  by 
chance  a  passing  glimpse  of  my  brother  as  I  was  sitting  at 

*  The  Duke  of  Cumberland's  army  suffered  severely  in  this  battle. 


CHAP.  I.]  Early  Recollections.  11 

the  entrance  of  our  street-door,  when  he  glided  like  a 
shadow  along,  wrapped  in  a  great  coat,  followed  by  my  mother 
with  a  parcel  containing  his  accoutrements.  After  he  had 
succeeded  in  passing  unnoticed  beyond  the  last  sentinel 
at  Herrenhausen  he  changed  his  dress.  .  .  .  My  brother's 
keeping  himself  so  carefully  from  all  notice  was  undoubtedly 
to  avoid  the  danger  of  being  pressed,  for  all  unengaged 
3roung  men  were  forced  into  the  service.  Even  the  clergy, 
unless  the}'  had  livings,  were  not  exempted." 

During  these  times  of  public  and  private  peril,  the 
little  girl  was  sent  regularly  to  the  garrison  school  with 
her  brother  Alexander  till  three  in  the  afternoon,  when 
she  went  to  another  school  till  six,  to  learn  knitting. 

"  From  that  time  forward  I  was  fully  employed  in  pro- 
viding my  brothers  with  stockings,  and  remember  that  the 
first  pair  for  Alexander  touched  the  floor  when  I  stood 
upright  finishing  the  front.  Besides  this  my  pen  was 
frequently  in  requisition  for  writing  not  only  my  mother's 
letters  to  my  father,  but  for  many  a  poor  soldier's  wife  in 
our  neighbourhood  to  her  husband  in  the  camp  :  for  it 
ought  to  be  remembered  that  in  the  beginning  of  the  last 
century  very  few  women,  when  they  left  country  schools, 
had  been  taught  to  write." 

In  addition  to  these  occupations,  she  was  called  upon 
to  make  herself  useful  when  the  fastidious  Jacob 
honoured  the  humble  table  with  his  presence,  "  and 
poor  I  got  many  a  whipping  for  being  awkward  at  sup- 
plying the  place  of  footman  or  waiter."  The  sight  of 
her  mother  constantly  in  tears  ;  the  prolonged  absence 


12  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel. 

of  her  father ;  the  sister's  unhappiness  at  being  home- 
less when  about  to  become  a  mother;  all  these  circum- 
stances combined  to  sadden  the  personal  recollections 
of  a  time  of  almost  unsurpassed  national  calamity. 
After  the  loss  of  the  battle  at  Hastenbeck,  the  Recol- 
lections thus  conclude  this  period. 

"Nothing  but  distressing  reports  came  from  our  army, 
and  we  were  almost  immediately  in  the  power  of  the 
French  troops,*  each  house  being  crammed  with  men. 
In  that  in  which  we  were  obliged  to  bewail  in  silence 
our  cruel  fate,  no  le'ss  than  16  privates  were  quartered, 
besides  some  officers  who  occupied  the  best  apartments,  and 
this  lasted  for  about  two  years  [a  note  of  later  date  says 
"  not  so  long  "j  before  the  town  was  liberated." 

A  gap  occurs  here,  between  the  years  1757  and 
1760,  several  pages  having  been  torn  out  in  both  the 
original  "  Recollections "  and  the  unfinished  memoir 
commenced  in  1840.  In  the  former,  a  sentence  be- 
ginning "  the  next  time  I  saw  him  [Jacob]  was  when 
he  came  running  to  my  mother  with  a  letter,  the 

*  ' '  While  the  King  of  Prussia  was  waning  in  the  south  of  Germany,  an 
army  of  60,000  Frenchmen  under  Marshal  d'Estrees  was  directed  upon 
Hanover,  and  occupied  in  the  first  place  the  Prussian  dominions  lying  upon 

the  Rhine d'Estrees  had  been  to  a  certain  degree  successful  in  an 

action  at  Hastenbeck,  on  the  Weser,  and  had  forced  Cumberland  to  retreat. 
That  commander  continued  to  yield  ground  incessantly,  leaving  Hanover  and 

Magdeburg  unprotected He  concluded  with  Richelieu  the  convention 

of  Closter  Severn,  by  which  he  engaged  that  ....  the  Hanoverian  troops 
should  continue  inactive  in  their  quarters  near  Stade.  Hostilities  were  to  be 
suspended,  and  no  stipulation  was  made  respecting  the  Electorate  of  Hanover. 
That  country  was  accordingly  plundered  without  mercy,  and  subjected  to 
enormous  contributions." — Annals  of  France,  Encyclopaedia  Metro  olitana. 


CHAP,  i.]  Early  Recollections.  13 

contents  of  which,"  remains  unfinished,  and  the  narra- 
tive recommences  with  :  "  After  reading  over  many 
pages,  I  thought  it  best  to  destroy  them,  and  merely 
to  write  down  what  I  remember  to  have  passed  in  our 
family."  Accordingly  there  is  no  record  of  anything 
preserved  during  this  interval  until  May,  1760,  when 
the  head  of  the  family  returned  to  it  for  good — broken 
in  health  and  worn  out  by  hardships  to  which  he  was 
no  longer  equal,  but  strong  in  purpose  and  devoting 
himself  at  once  to  the  musical  education  of  his  chil- 
dren and  to  giving  lessons  to  the  numerous  pupils  who 
soon  came  to  seek  instruction  from  so  excellent  a 
master.  Jacob  returned  for  the  second  time  from 
England  at  the  end  of  1759,  and  obtained  the  place 
of  first  violin  in  the  court  orchestra.  As  usual  the 
appearance  of  this  member  of  the  family  caused  a 
general  upset  of  domestic  comfort,  for 

"  when  he  came  to  dine  with  us,  it  generally  happened  that 
before  he  departed  his  mother  was  as  much  out  of  humour 
with  him  as  he  was  at  the  beefsteaks  being  hard,  and 
because  I  did  not  know  how  to  clean  knives  and  forks  with 
brickdust." 

The  younger  children  made  great  progress  under 
their  father's  careful  training,  and  with  all  her  pro- 
pensity for  seeing  the  dark  side,  the  daughter's 
recollections  of  this  period  afford  glimpses  of  a 
tolerably  happy  household.  If  it  was  "  a  helpless 
and  distracted  family"  to  which,  as  she  writes,  her 


14  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL        [1760-1761. 

father  returned,  those  epithets  could  ill  apply  to  the 
father  himself,  for  there  is  abundant  evidence  that  he 
was  a  man  of  no  ordinary  character — one  who,  in  spite 
of  constant  suffering  of  a  most  distressing  kind,  per- 
sisted in  hard  work  to  the  very  end,  and  who  set  his 
children  a  noble  example  of  patience,  unselfishness, 
and  self-denial.  To  the  last,  as  his  daughter  records, — 

"  Copying  music  employed  every  vacant  moment,  even 
sometimes  throughout  half  the  night,  and  the  pen  was  not 
suffered  to  rest  even  when  smoking  a  pipe,  which  habit  he 
indulged  in  rather  on  account  of  his  asthmatical  constitu- 
tion than  as  a  luxury ;  for,  without  all  exception,  he  was  the 
most  abstemious  liver  I  ever  have  known ;  and  in  every 
instance,  even  in  the  article  of  clothing,  the  utmost  frugality 
was  observed,  and  yet  he  never  was  seen  otherwise  than 
very  neat.  .  .  .  With  my  brother  [Dietrich]  now  a 
little  engaging  creature  of  between  four  and  five  years  old — 
he  was  very  much  pleased,  and  [on  the  first  evening  of  his 
arrival  at  home]  before  he  went  to  rest,  the  Adempken 
(a  little  violin)  was  taken  from  the  lumbering  shelf  and 
newly  strung  and  the  daily  lessons  immediately  commenced. 

.  .  .  I  do  not  recollect  that  he  ever  desired  any  other 
society  than  what  he  had  opportunities  of  enjoying  in  many 
of  the  parties  where  he  was  introduced  by  his  profession ; 
though  far  from  being  of  a  morose  disposition;  he  would 
frequently  encourage  my  mother  in  keeping  up  a  social 
intercourse  among  a  few  acquaintances,  whilst  his  afternoon 
hours  generally  were  taken  up  in  giving  lessons  to  some 
scholars  at  home,  who  gladly  saved  him  the  troublesome 
exertion  of  walking.  .  .  .  He  also  found  great  pleasure 
in  seeing  Dietrich's  improvement,  who,  young  as  he  was, 
and  of  the  most  lively  temper  imaginable,  was  always  read}' 


CHAP,  i.]  Early  Recollections.  15 

to  receive  his  lessons,  leaving  his  little  companions  (with 
whom  our  neighbourhood  abounded)  with  the  greatest 
cheerfulness  to  go  to  his  father,  who  was  so  pleased  with  his 
performances  that — I  think  it  must  have  been  in  October  or 
November — he  made  him  play  a  solo  on  the  Adempken  in 
Rake's  concert,  being  placed  on  a  table  before  a  crowded 
company,  for  which  he  was  very  much  applauded  and 
caressed,  particularly  by  an  English  lady,  who  put  a  gold 
coin  in  his  little  pocket. 

"  It  was  not  long  before  my  father  had  as  many  scholars 
as  he  could  find  time  to  attend,  for  some  of  those  he  had 
left  behind  returned  to  him  again,  and  several  families  who 
had  sons  of  about  the  age  of  my  little  brother,  became  his 
pupils  and  proved  in  time  very  good  performers.  And 
when  they  assembled  at  my  father's  to  make  little  concerts, 
I  was  frequently  called  to  join  the  second  violin  in  an 
overture,  for  my  father  found  pleasure  in  giving  me  some- 
times a  lesson  before  the  instruments  were  laid  by  after 
practising  with  Dietrich,  for  I  never  was  missing  at  those 
hours,  sitting  in  a  corner  with  my  knitting  and  listening  all 
the  while." 

A  serious  interruption  of  this  and  all  other  occupa- 
tions was  caused  by  a  severe  attack  of  typhus  fever 
which  in  the  summer  of  1761  threatened  to  be  fatal, 
and 

"  reduced  my  strength  to  that  degree  that  for  several 
months  after  I  was  obliged  to  mount  the  stairs  on  my  hands 
and  feet  like  an  infant ;  but  here  I  will  remark  that  from 
that  time  to  this  present  day  (June  5,  1821)  I  do  not 
remember  ever  to  have  spent  a  whole  day  in  bed." 

In  spite  of  her  strong  objections  to  learning,  the 


16  Caroline  Litcretia  Herschel.        [1761-1764. 

worthy  mother  had  too  correct  a  view  of  her  duties 
to  stand  in  the  way  of  the  necessary  preparation  for 
her  daughter's  confirmation,  who  was  accordingly,  but 
not  without  complaints  at  the  loss  of  time,  released 
from  her  household  avocations  for  this  purpose. 
Alexander,  who  had  been  taken  as  a  sort  of  ap- 
prentice by  Griesbach,  was  now  of  an  age  to  turn  his 
great  musical  talents  to  profitable  account,  and  re- 
turned to  Hanover,  where  he  obtained  the  somewhat 
mysterious  situation  of  Stadtmusicus  (Town  Musician), 
the  duties  of  which  office  involved 

41  little  else  to  do  but  to  give  a  daily  lesson  to  an  apprentice 
and  to  blow  a  Corale  from  the  Markt  Thurm ;  so  that  nearly 
all  his  time  could  be  given  to  practice  and  receiving  instruc- 
tion from  his  father.  There  was  no  doubt  but  that  he 
would  soon  become  a  good  violin  player,  for  his  natural 
genius  was  such  that  nothing  could  spoil  it." 

Although  the  absent  brother  William  kept  up 
regular  correspondence  with  Hanover,  many  of  his 
letters  were  written  in  English  and  addressed  to 
Jacob,  on  such  subjects  as  the  Theory  of  Music,  in 
which  the  family  in  general  could  not  participate. 
Year  after  year  went  by,  and  William  showed  no 
inclination  to  leave  England,  to  which  country  he 
was  becoming  more  and  more  attached ;  the  poor 
father,  who  felt  his  strength  steadily  declining,  became 
painfully  eager  for  his  return.  On  the  2nd  April, 
1764,  they  were  thrown  into  "a  tumult  of  joy"  by  his 


CHAP.  i.]  Early  Recollections.  17 

appearance  among  them.  The  visit  was  a  very 
brief  one,  offering  no  hope  of  any  intention  to  settle 
in  Hanover;  the  father  was  well  aware  that  he 
at  least  could  not  look  forward  to  another  meeting 
on  earth,  while  to  the  poor  little  unnoticed  girl,  this 
visit  and  its  attendant  circumstances  stood  out  in 
her  memory  as  fraught  with  anguish,  which  even 
her  unskilled  pen  succeeds  in  representing  as  a  grief 
almost  too  deep  for  words. 

"  Of  the  joys  and  pleasures  which  all  felt  at  this  long- 
wished-for  meeting  with  my — let  me  say  my  dearest 
brother,  but  a  small  portion  could  fall  to  my  share;  for 
with  niy  constant  attendance  at  church  and  school,  besides 
the  time  I  was  employed  in  doing  the  drudgery  of  the 
scullery,  it  was  but  seldom  I  could  make  one  in  the  group 
when  the  family  were  assembled  together. 

"  In  the  first  week  some  of  the  orchestra  were  invited 
to  a  concert,  at  which  some  of  my  brother  William's  com- 
positions, overtures,  &c.,  and  some  of  niy  eldest  brother 
Jacob's  were  performed,  to  the  great  delight  of  my  dear 
father,  who  hoped  and  expected  that  they  would  be  turned 
to  some  profit  by  publishing  them,  but  there  was  no  printer 
who  bid  high  enough. 

"  Sunday  the  8th  was  the — to  me — eventful  day  of  my 
confirmation,  and  I  left  home  not  a  little  proud  and  en- 
couraged by  my  dear  brother  William's  approbation  of  my 
appearance  in  my  new  gown." 

Not  only  was  she  disappointed  in  her  fervent  hope 
that  the  longed-for  brother  would  not  come  at  the 
very  time  when  she  was  obliged  to  be  much  from 


18  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.        [i 76 4-1 76 7. 

home,  but  several  of  the  precious  days  of  his  stay  were 
spent  in  a  visit  to  the  Griesbachs  at  Coppenbrugge, 
and  the  Sunday  fixed  for  his  departure  was  the  very 
day  on  which  she  was  to  receive  her  first  communion. 

"  The  church  was  crowded  and  the  door  open :  the  Ham- 
burger, Postwagen  passed  at  eleven,  bearing  away  my  dear 
brother,  from  whom  I  had  been  obliged  to  part  at  8  o'clock. 
It  was  within  a  dozen  yards  from  the  open  door;  the 
postilion  giving  a  smettering  blast  on  his  horn.  Its  effect 
on  my  shattered  nerves,  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe,  nor 
what  I  felt  for  days  and  weeks  after.  I  wish  it  were 
possible  to  say  what  I  wish  to  say,  without  feeling  anew  that 
feverish  wretchedness  which  accompanied  my  walk  in  the 
afternoon  with  some  of  my  school  companions,  in  my  black 
silk  dress  and  bouquet  of  artificial  flowers — the  same  which 
had  served  my  sister  on  her  bridal  day.  I  could  think  of 
nothing  but  that  on  my  return  I  should  find  nobody  but 
my  disconsolate  father  and  mother,  for  Alexander's  engage- 
ments allowed  him  to  be  with  us  only  at  certain  hours, 
and  Jacob  was  seldom  at  home  except  to  dress  and  take  his 
meals." 

From  the  state  of  hopeless  lethargy  in  which  the 
poor  sister  describes  herself  as  going  mechanically 
about  her  daily  tasks  after  that  memorable  day,  she 
was  roused  by  a  calamity  which  affected  all  alike. 
The  father  had  a  paralytic  seizure  the  August  follow- 
ing, by  which  he  lost  the  use  of  his  right  side  almost 
entirely,  and  although  he  so  far  recovered  as  to  be 
able  still  to  receive  pupils  in  his  own  house,  he  never 


CHAP.  I.]  Early   Recollections.  19 

regained  his  former  skill  on  the  violin,  and  was  re- 

o  * 

cluced  to  a  sad  state  of  suffering  and  infirmity ;  a  few 
months  later  he  was  pronounced  to  be  in  a  confirmed 
dropsy.  Changes  of  abode,  not  always  for  the  better ; 
anxieties,  on  account  of  Alexander's  prospects  and 
Jacob's  vagaries ;  disappointment,  at  seeing  his 
daughter  grow  up  without  the  education  he  had 
hoped  to  give  her ;  were  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  worn-out  sufferer  struggled  through  the 
last  three  years  of  his  life,  copying  music  at  even" 
spare  moment,  assisting  at  a  Concert  only  a  few 
weeks  before  his  death,  and  giving  lessons  until  he 
was  obliged  to  keep  wholly  to  his  bed.  He  was  re- 
leased from  his  sufferings  at  the  comparatively  early 
age  of  sixty-one  on  the  22nd  March,  1767,  leaving 
to  his  children  little  more  than  the  heritage  of  his 
good  example,  unblemished  character,  and  those 
musical  talents  which  he  had  so  carefully  educated, 
and  by  which  he  probably  hoped  the  more  gifted  of 
his  sons  would  attain  to  eminence. 

Miss  Herschel  describes  herself  as  having  fallen  into 
"a  kind  of  stupefaction,"  which  lasted  for  many 
weeks  after  the  loss  of  her  father,  and  the  awakening 
to  life  had  little  of  hope  in  the  present  or  promise  for 
the  future,  so  far  as  she  could  see  then.  At  the  age 
of  seventeen  she  had  learned  little  beyond  the  first 
elements  of  education,  and  she  was  now  deprived  of 
the  one  friend  who  encouraged  and  sympathised  with 


c  2 


20  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1767. 

her  desire  for  better  instruction.  The  parents  had 
never  agreed  on  the  subject.  "  When  I  had  left 
school/'  she  writes, 

"  My  father  wished  to  give  me  something  like  a  polished 
education,  but  my  mother  was  particularly  determined  that 
it  should  be  a  rough,  but  at  the  same  time  a  useful  one ;  and 
nothing  farther  she  thought  was  necessary  but  to  send  me 
two  or  three  months  to  a  sempstress  to  be  taught  to  make 
household  linen.  Having  added  this  accomplishment  to 
my  former  ingenuities,  I  never  afterwards  could  find  leisure 
for  thinking  of  anything  but  to  contrive  and  make  for  the 
family  in  all  imaginable  forms  whatever  was  wanting,  and 
thus  I  learned  to  make  bags  and  sword-knots  long  before  I 

knew  how  to  make  caps  and  furbelows 

My  mother  would  not  consent  to  my  being  taught  French, 
and  my  brother  Dietrich  was  even  denied  a  dancing-master, 
because  she  would  not  permit  my  learning  along  with  him, 
though  the  entrance  had  been  paid  for  us  both ;  so  all  my 
father  could  do  for  me  was  to  indulge  me  (and  please  him- 
self) sometimes  with  a  short  lesson  on  the  violin,  when  my 
mother  was  either  in  good  humour  or  out  of  the  way. 
Though  I  have  often  felt  myself  exceedingly  at  a  loss  for 
the  want  of  those  few  accomplishments  of  which  I  was  thus, 
by  an  erroneous  though  well-meant  opinion  of  my  mother, 
deprived,  I  could  not  help  thinking  but  that  she  had  cause 
for  wishing  me  not  to  know  more  than  was  necessary  for 
being  useful  in  the  family  ;  for  it  was  her  certain  belief  that 
my  brother  William  would  have  returned  to  his  country,  and 
my  eldest  brother  not  have  looked  so  high,  if  they  had  had 
a  little  less  learning. 

But  sometimes  I  found  it  scarcely  possible  to  get  through 
with  the  work  required,  and  felt  very  unhappy  that 


CHAP,  i.]  Early   Recollections.  21 

no  time  at  all  was  left  for  improving  myself  in  music  or 
fancy-work,  in  which  I  had  an  opportunity  of  receiving 
some  instruction  from  an  ingenious  young  woman  whose 
parents  lived  in  the  same  house  with  us.  But  the  time 
wanted  for  spending  a  few  hours  together  could  only  be 
obtained  by  our  meeting  at  daybreak,  because  by  the  time 
of  the  family's  rising  at  seven,  I  was  obliged  to  be  at  my 
daily  business.  But  during  the  summer  months  of  1766 
very  few  mornings  passed  without  our  spending  a  few  hours 
together,  to  which  I  was  called  by  my  friend's  loud  cough 
at  her  window  by  way  of  notice  that  she  was  ready  for  me 
[she  could  not  sleep,  and  was  glad  of  my  company.  I  lost 
her  soon  after,  for  she  died  of  consumption].  Though 
I  had  neither  time  nor  means  for  producing  anything  im- 
mediately either  for  show  or  use,  I  was  content  with  keep- 
ing samples  of  all  possible  patterns  in  needlework,  beads, 
bugles,  horsehair,  &c.,  for  I  could  not  help  feeling  troubled 
sometimes  about  my  future  destiny ;  yet  I  could  not  bear 
the  idea  of  being  turned  into  an  Abigail  or  housemaid,  and 
thought  that  with  the  above  and  such  like  acquirements 
with  a  little  notion  of  Music,  I  might  obtain  a  place  as 
governess  in  some  family  where  the  want  of  a  know- 
ledge of  French  would  be  no  objection." 

It  was  with  the  same  object  of  fitting  herself  to 
earn  her  bread  that,  after  her  father's  death,  she 
obtained  permission  to  go  for  a  month  or  two  to  learn 
millinery  and  dress-making ;  her  eldest  brother  Jacob, 
before  leaving  them  to  join  William  at  Bath,  having 
graciously  given  his  consent,  "  if  it  was  only  meant 
to  learn  to  make  my  own  things,  but  positively  for- 
bidding it  for  any  other  purpose."  The  following 


22  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1768. 

account  of  this  episode  shows  how  customary  such 
apprenticeship  was  among  young  ladies  of  good 
family,  as  a  part  of  their  education : — 

"My  mother  found  some  difficulty  in  persuading  the 
lady  to  whom  I  wished  to  go,  to  receive  me  without  paying 
the  usual  premium,  but  at  last  she  gave  me  leave  to  come  on 
paying  one  thaler  per  month.  I  felt  myself  rather  humbled 
on  going  the  first  time  among  twenty-one  young  people  with 
an  elegant  woman,  Madame  Kiister,  at  their  head,  directing 
them  in  various  works  of  finery.  Among  the  group  were 
several  young  ladies  of  genteel  families,  and  as  I  came  there 
on  rather  reduced  terms,  I  expected  that  I  should  be 
kept  in  the  back  ground,  doing  nothing  but  the  plain 
work  of  the  business ;  but  contrary  to  my  fears,  I  gained 
in  the  school-mistress  a  valuable  friend  .  .  .  Here 
I  found  myself  daily  happy  for  a  few  hours  and  one  of 
the  young  women,*  after  a  lapse  of  thirty-five  years,  wrhen 
I  was  introduced  to  her  at  the  Queen's  Lodge,  received 
me  as  an  old  acquaintance,  though  I  could  but  just  remember 
having  sometimes  exchanged  a  nod  and  smile  with  a  sweet 
little  girl  about  ten  or  eleven  years  old.  But  I  soon  was 
sensible  of  having  found  wrhat  hitherto  I  had  looked  for  in 
vain — a  sincere  and  disinterested  friend  to  whom  I  might  have 
applied  for  counsel  and  comfort  in  my  deserted  situation." 

A  proposal  from  Jacob  that  Dietrich,  whom  the 
father  on  his  deathbed  had  specially  commended  to  his 
care,  should  be  sent  to  England,  caused  his  mother  the 
utmost  distress,  on  account  of  his  being  still  too  young 
to  be  confirmed  ;  but  her  scruples  were  overcome  and 

*  Afterwards  Madame  Beckedorff,   Miss  Herschel's  most  valued  friend  in 
after  years. 


CHAP,  i.j  Early  Recollections.  23 

Dietrich  was  despatched  in  the  summer  as  soon  as  a 
fitting  escort  could  be  found. 

"  But  what  was  yet  more  aggravating  was,  that  the  loss  of 
his  company  was  supplied  by  a  country  cousin  whom  my 
mother  permitted  to  spend  the  summer  Avith  us  in  order  to 
have  the  advantage  of  my  mother's  advice  in  making  prepara- 
tion for  her  marriage.  .  .  .  This  young  woman,  full  of 
good-nature  and  ignorance,  grew  unfortunately  so  fond  of  me 
that  she  was  for  ever  at  my  side,  and  by  that  means  I  lost 
what  little  interval  of  leisure  I  might  then  have  had  for 
reading,  practising  the  violin,  &c.,  entirely.  Besides  this,  I 
was  extremely  discomposed  at  seeing  Alexander  associating 
with  young  men  who  led  him  into  all  manner  of  expensive 
pleasures  which  involved  him  in  debts  for  the  hire  of  horses 
and  carioles,  &c.,  and  I  was  (though  he  knew  my  inability  of 
helping  him)  made  a  partaker  in  his  fears  that  these  scrapes 
should  come  to  the  knowledge  of  our  mother. 

"  My  time  was,  however,  filled  up  pretty  well  with  making 
household  linen,  &c.,  against  Jacob's  return.  .  .  . 

.  .  It  was  not,  however,  till  the  middle  of  the  following 
summer  that  Ave  saw  him  again,  and  I  suppose  his  stay  must 
have  been  prolonged  on  account  of  waiting  till  he  had  had 
the  honour  of  playing  before  their  Majesties,  for  which  (in 
consequence  of  having  composed  and  dedicated  a  set  of  six 
sonatas  to  the  Queen)  he  was  informed  he  would  receive  a 
summons.  .  .  .  After  this  his  salary  was  augmented 
by  100  thalers,"  and  the  promise  of  not  being  overlooked 
in  future. 

[NOTE. — Before  I  leave  this  subject  I  cannot  help  remem- 
bering the  sacrifices  these  good  people  were  making  to 
pride.  They  played  noAvhere  for  money,  for  even  when 
in  1768  (I  think  it  Avas)  the  King's  theatre  was  first 


24  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1768-1770. 

opened  to  the  Public,  and  the  Court  orchestra  was  called 
upon  to  play  there,  they  did  it  without  any  emolument,  so 
that  there  was  no  way  left  to  increase  their  small  salaries 
but  by  giving  a  few  subscription  concerts  in  the  winter,  or 
by  teaching.  So  much,  by  way  of  apology,  for  the  emi- 
gration of  part  of  my  family  to  England.] 

"  We  passed  the  winter  in  the  utmost  quiet,  except  when 
Alexander  took  it  into  his  head  to  entertain  gentlemen  in 
his  own  apartment,  which  always  made  my  mother  very 
cross,  else  in  general  nothing  disturbed  us  in  our  occupa- 
tion. My  mother  spun,  I  was  at  work  on  a  set  of  ruffles  of 
Dresden-work  for  my  brother  Jacob,  whilst  Alexander  often 
sat  by  us  and  amused  us  and  himself  with  making  all  sorts 
of  things  in  pasteboard,  or  contriving  how  to  make  a  twelve- 
hour  Cuckoo  clock  go  a  week.  .  .  .  As  my  mother  saw 
that  Dietrich's  confirmation  was  still  uncertain,  she  insisted 
on  having  him  back  again.  .  .  .  Accordingly  at  the  end 
of  July  they  [Jacob  and  Dietrich]  arrived,  and  Dietrich 
entered  school  again  immediately,"  but  remained  onty  until 
his  confirmation  the  following  Easter. 

A  new  direction  was  suddenly  given  to  all  their 
plans  by  the  arrival  of  letters  from  the  absent  brother 
William,  who  proposed  that  his  sister  should  join  him 
at  Bath — 

.  .  .  "to  make  the  trial  if  by  his  instruction  I  might  not  be- 
come a  useful  singer  for  his  winter  concerts  and  oratorios, 
he  advised  my  brother  Jacob  to  give  me  some  lessons  by 
way  of  beginning ;  but  that  if  after  a  trial  of  two  years  we 
should  not  find  it  answer  our  expectation  he  would  bring 
me  back  again.  This  at  first  seemed  to  be  agreeable  to  all 


CHAP.  I.]  Early   Recollections.  25 

parties,  but  by  the  time  I  had  set  my  heart  upon  this 
change  in  my  situation,  Jacob  began  to  turn  the  whole 
scheme  into  ridicule,  and,  of  course,  he  never  heard  the  sound 
of  my  voice  except  in  speaking,  and  yet  I  was  left  in  the 
harassing  uncertainty  whether  I  Avas  to  go  or  not.  I  resolved 
at  last  to  prepare,  as  far  as  lay  in  my  power,  for  both  cases, 
by  taking,  in  the  first  place,  every  opportunity  when  all  were 
from  home  to  imitate,  with  a  gag  between  my  teeth,  the  solo 
parts  of  concertos,  shake  and  all,  such  as  I  had  heard  them 
play  on  the  violin  ;  in  consequence  I  had  gained  a  tolerable 
execution  before  I  knew  how  to  sing.  I  next  began  to  knit 
ruffles,  which  were  intended  for  my  brother  William  in  case  I 
remained  at  home — else  they  were  to  be  Jacob's.  For  my 
mother  and  brother  D.  I  knitted  as  many  cotton  stockings 
as  would  last  two  years  at  least." 

Jacob  remained  with  his  family  until  the  following 
July,  when  lie  returned  to  Bath,  this  time  taking 
Alexander  with  him  for  two  years'  leave  of  absence, 
the  young  Dietrich  being  deemed  competent  not  only 
to  supply  his  place  in  the  orchestra,  but  also  to  attend 
his  private  pupils. 

Nothing  is  recorded  in  the  interval  between  Jacob's 
return  to  Hanover  in  the  autumn  and  the  long  ex- 
pected arrival  of  William  in  April,  1772,  except  one 
of  the  changes  of  abode,  which  were  of  such  frequent 
occurrence,  involving  abundance  of  employment  in 
making  and  altering  articles  of  household  use,  which 
afforded  some  relief  to  the  conscientious  daughter, 
who  was  sorely  troubled  by  uncertainty  as  to  her 
duty  in  the  matter  of  going  to  England  or  staying 


26  Caroline  Lncretia  HerscheL  [1772. 

with  her  mother,  although  the  latter  had  given  her 
consent  to  the  change. 

"  In  this  manner"  [making  prospective  clothes  for  them] 
"  I  tried  to  still  the  compunction  I  felt  at  leaving  relatives 
who,  I  feared,  would  lose  some  of  their  comforts  by  my 
desertion,  and  nothing  but  the  belief  of  returning  to  them 
full  of  knowledge  and  accomplishments  could  have  sup- 
ported me  in  the  parting  moment,  which  was  much  em- 
bittered by  the  absence  of  my  brother  Jacob,  who  was 
with  the  Court  which  attended  on  the  Queen  of  Denmark 
at  the  Gordc,  where  my  brother  Dietrich  had  also  been  for 
some  time,  and  but  just  returned  when  my  brother  William, 
for  whose  safety  we  had  for  several  weeks  been  under  no 
small  apprehension,  at  last  quite  unexpectedly  arrived.  .  .  . 
His  sta}^  at  Hanover  could  at  the  utmost  not  be  prolonged 
above  a  fortnight.  .  .  .  My  mother  had  consented 
to  my  going  with  him,  and  the  anguish  at  my  leaving  her 
was  somewhat  alleviated  by  my  brother  settling  a  small 
annuity  on  her,  by  which  she  would  be  enabled  to  keep  an 
attendant  to  supply  my  place."  They  all  went  over  to 
Coppenbriigge  "to  see  my  sister — I  to  take  leave  of  her; 
the  remaining  time  was  wasted  in  an  unsatisfactory 
correspondence  :  the  letters  from  my  brother  Jacob  ex- 
pressed nothing  but  regret  and  impatience  at  being  thus 
disappointed,  and,  without  being  able  to  effect  a  meeting, 
I  was  obliged  to  go  without  receiving  the  consent  of  my 

eldest  brother  to  my  going 

#*##*• 

"  But  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  my  feelings  when 
the  parting  moment  arrived,  and  I  left  my  dear  mother 
and  most  dear  Dietrich  on  Sunday,  August  16th,  1772,  at 
the  Posthouse,  and  after  travelling  for  six  days  and  nights 
on  an  open  (in  those  days  very  inconvenient)  Postwagen^ 


CHAP.  I.]  Early   Recollections.  27 

we  were  on  the  following  Saturday  conveyed  in  a  small 
open  vessel  from  the  qua}r  at  Helvotsluis  on  a  stormy  sea,  to 
the  packet  boat,  which  lay  two  miles  distant  at  anchor ;  from 
which  we  were  again  obliged  to  go  in  an  open  boat  to  be 
set  ashore,  or  rather  thrown  like  balls  by  two  English  sailors, 
on  the  coast  of  Yarmouth.*  For  the  vessel  was  almost  a 
wreck,  without  a  main  and  another  of  its  masts. 

"  After  having  crawled  to  one  of  a  row  of  neat  low  houses, 
we  found  the  party  previously  arrived  from  the  ship  devour- 
ing their  breakfast ;  several  clean-dressed  women  employed 
in  cutting  bread  and  butter  (from  fine  wheaten  loaves)  as 
fast  as  ever  they  could.  One  of  them  went  upstairs  with 
me  to  help  me  to  put  on  my  clothes,  and  after  taking  some 
tea  we  mounted  some  sort  of  a  cart  to  bring  us  to  the  next 
place  where  diligences  going  to  London  would  pass.  But 
we  had  hardly  gone  a  quarter  of  an  English  mile  when  the 
horse,  which  was  not  used  to  go  in  what  they  called  the 
shafts,  ran  away  with  us,  overturning  the  cart  with  trunk  and 
passengers.  My  brother,  another  person,  and  myself  all 
throwing  themselves  out,  I  flying  into  a  dry  ditch.  We  all 
came  off  however,  with  only  the  fright,  owing  to  the  assist- 
ance of  a  gentleman  who,  with  his  servant,  was  accom- 
panying us  on  horseback.  These  persons  had  come  in  the 
packet  with  us,  and  it  was  settled  not  to  part  till  in 
London,  where  we  arrived  at  noon  on  the  26th  at  an  inn 
in  the  City.  Here  we  remained  till  the  evening  of  the 
27th.  My  brother  having  business  at  the  West-end  of 
the  town,  left  me  under  the  care  of  our  fellow  travellers ; 
but  after  his  return,  in  the  evening  when  the  shops  were 
lighted  up,  we  went  to  see  all  that  was  to  be  seen  in  that 
part  of  London,  of  which  I  only  remember  the  opticians' 
shops,  for  I  do  not  think  we  stopped  at  any  other. 

*  The  other  version  calls  it  "  from  Helvot  to  Harrige  "  =  Harwich. 


28  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1772. 

"  The  next  day  tlie  mistress  of  the  inn  lent  me  a  hat  of 
her  daughter's — mine  was  blown  into  one  of  the  canals  of 
Holland,  for  we  had  storms  by  land  as  well  as  at  sea — and 
we  went  to  see  St.  Paul's,  the  Bank,  &c.,  &c.  Mem :  only  the 
outside,  except  of  St.  Paul's  and  the  Bank,  and  we  were  never 
off  our  legs,  except  at  meals  in  our  inn.  Towards  even- 
ing we  went  to  the  West  of  the  town,  where,  after  having 
called  on  Despatch  Secretary  Wiese  and  his  lady  (Mr. 
Wiese  conducted  our  correspondence  with  Hanover)  we 
went  to  the  inn,  from  whence  we  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing started  by  the  night  coach  for  Bath  on  the  28th  of 
August After  taking  some  tea  I  went  imme- 
diately to  bed,  and  I  did  not  awake  till  the  next  day  in  the 
afternoon,  when  I  found  my  brother  had  but  just  left  his 
room.  I  for  my  part  was,  from  the  privation  of  sleep 
for  eleven  or  twelve  days  (not  having  above  twice  been  in 
what  they  called  a  bed)  almost  annihilated." 


END   OF   RECOLLECTIONS*   VOL.    I. 

The  only  allusion  to  this  journey  in  Sir  W. 
Herschel's  Journal  is  the  brief  entry: — "August  16, 
1772.  Set  off  on  my  return  to  England  in  company 
with  my  sister." 


SIH    WILIiIAM    HERS7HKI.'S    FORTY-FOOT    TKLKSCOPE    AT    SLOUGH. 

[To  face  imgi  _'.». 


CHAPTER    II. 

LIFE   OF  THE   BROTHER  AND   SISTER   IN  BATH. 

AT  the  time  when  William  Herschel  brought  his 
sister  back  with  him  to  Bath,  he  had  established  him- 
self there  as  a  teacher  of  music,  numbering  among  his 
pupils  many  ladies  of  -rank.  He  was  also  organist  of 
the  Octagon  Chapel,  and  frequently  composed  anthems, 
chants,  and  whole  services  for  the  choir  under  his 
management.  On  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Linley 
(father  of  the  celebrated  singer,  afterwards  the  beau- 
tiful Mrs.  Sheridan)  from  the  direction  of  the  Public 
Concerts,  he  at  once  added  this  to  his  other  avoca- 
tions, and  was  consequently  immersed  in  business  of 
the  most  laborious  and  harassing  kind  during  the 
whole  of  the  Bath  season.  But  he  considered  all  this 
professional  work  only  as  the  means  to  an  end  ;  devotion 
to  music  produced  income  and  a  certain  degree  of  leisure, 
and  these  were  becoming  every  day  more  imperatively 
necessary.  Every  spare  moment  of  the  day,  and 
many  hours  stolen  from  the  night,  had  long  been 


30  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1772. 

devoted  to  the  studies  which  were  compelling  him  to 
become  himself  an  observer  of  the  heavens.  Insufficient 
mechanical  means  roused  his  inventive  genius  ;  and,  as 
all  the  world  knows,  the  mirror  for  the  mighty  forty- 
foot  telescope  was  the  crowning  result.  To  his  pupils 
he  was  known  as  not  a  music-master  alone.  Some 
ladies  had  lessons  in  astronomy  from  him,  and,  at  the 
invitation  of  his  friend  Dr.  Watson,  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  a  philosophical  society  then  recently  started 
in  Bath,  to  which  he  for  several  years  contributed  a 
great  number  of  papers  on  various  scientific  subjects. 
It  soon  came  to  pass  that  the  gentlemen  who  sought 
interviews  with  him,  asking  for  a  peep  through  the 
wonderful  tube,  carried  stories  of  what  they  had  seen 
to  London,  and  these  were  not  long  in  finding  their 
way  to  St.  James's. 

It  was  thus  at  the  very  turning-point  of  her 
brother's  career  that  Caroline  Herschel  became  his 
companion  and  fellow-worker.  No  contrast  could 
be  sharper  than  that  presented  by  the  narrow  domestic 
routine  she  had  left  to  the  life  of  ceaseless  and  inex- 
haustible activity  into  which  she  was  plunged; — 
unless,  indeed,  it  be  that  presented  by  the  nature  of 
the  events  she  has  to  record,  and  the  tone  in  which 
they  are  recorded.  For  ten  years  she  persevered  at 
Bath,  singing  when  she  was  told  to  sing,  copying 
when  she  was  told  to  copy,  "  lending  a  hand  "  in  the 
workshop,  and  taking  her  full  share  in  all  the  stirring 


CHAP.  II.]  Life   in   Bath.  31 

and  exciting  changes    by    which    the    musician   be- 
came the  King's   astronomer  and    a    celebrity ;    but 
she    never,    by    a   single    word,   betrays   how   these 
wonderful   events   affected    her;    nor    ever    indulges 
in  the   slightest  approach   to   an   original  sentiment, 
comment,   or   reflection   not   strictly  connected   with 
the   present    fact.      Whether    it    be    to   record    the 
presentation    of   the   "golden   medal,"    or    the    dis- 
honesty  of    the   incorrigible   Betties   who  then,  and 
till    her    life's    end,    so    sorely   tried    her  peace    of 
mind,   there  is  no  difference  in   the  style   or   spirit 
of    the    "  Kecollections."      Partly    as    apology    and 
partly   as   complaint,   the   one   grievance    is    harped 
on,   even   when  fifty   years'   experience   might    have 
convinced   her  that  she    had  done    something  more 
for  herself  and  the  world  than  earn   her  bread  by 
her  own  labour.     "  In  short,"    she   writes,   "  I  have 
been  throughout  annoyed   and   hindered  in  my   en- 
deavours   at   perfecting    myself   in   any    branch    of 
knowledge  by  which  I  could  hope  to  gain  a  credit- 
able livelihood."     It  is  seldom,  however,  that  she  is 
diverted  from  the  main  theme  to  write  about  herself 
otherwise  than  incidentally,  and  in  a  note  addressed 
to    her   nephew,  she    says: — "My   only   reason   for 
saying   so   much   of  myself  is  to   show   with   what 
miserable   assistance  your   father   made  shift  to   ob- 
taining the  means  of  exploring  the  heavens." 


32  Caroline  L^tcret^ct  Herschel.  [1772. 

"  On  the  afternoon  of  August  28th,  1772,  I  arrived 
with  my  brother  at  his  house  No.  7,  New  King  Street, 
Bath,  where  we  were  received  only  by  Mr.  Bulman's  family, 
who  occupied  the  parlour  floor,  and  had  the  management  of 
his  servant  and  household  affairs.  My  brother  had  formerly 
boarded  with  them  at  Leeds,  whence,  on  Mr.  Bulman's 
failure  in  business,  they  had  removed  to  Bath,  where  my 
brother  procured  for  him  the  place  of  Clerk  at  the  Octagon 
Chapel.  .  .  .  On  our  journey  he  had  taken  every  op- 
portunity to  make  me  hope  to  find  in  Mrs.  Bulman  a  well- 
informed  and  well-meaning  friend,  and  in  her  daughter,  a 
few  years  younger  than  nr^self,  an  agreeable  companion. 
But  as  I  knew  no  more  English  than  the  few  words  which  I 
had  on  our  journey  learned  to  repeat  like  a  parrot,  it  may 
be  easily  supposed  that  it  would  require  some  time  before  I 
could  feel  comfortable  among  strangers.  But  as  the  season 
for  the  arrival  of  visitors  to  the  Baths  does  not  begin 
till  October,  my  brother  had  leisure  to  try  my  capacity  for 
becoming  a  useful  singer  for  his  concerts  and  oratorios, 
and  being  very  well  satisfied  with  my  voice,  I  had  two  or 
three  lessons  every  day,  and  the  hours  which  were  not 
spent  at  the  harpsichord  were  employed  in  putting  me  in 
the  way  of  managing  the  family.  .  .  .  On  the  second 
morning,  on  meeting  my  brother  at  breakfast,  he  began 
immediately  to  give  me  a  lesson  in  English  and  arithmetic, 
and  showed  me  the  way  of  booking  and  keeping  accounts 
of  cash  received  and  laid  out.  .  .  .  By  way  of  re- 
laxation we  talked  of  astronomy  and  the  bright  constel- 
lations with  which  I  had  made  acquaintance  during  the 
fine  nights  we  spent  on  the  Postwagen  travelling  through 
Holland. 

"My  brother  Alexander,  who  had  been   some  time  in 
England,  boarded  and  lodged  with  his  elder  brother,  and 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  in  Bath,  33 

with  myself,  occupied  the  attic.  The  first  floor,  which  was 
furnished  in  the  newest  and  most  handsome  style,  my 
brother  kept  for  himself.  The  front  room  containing  the 
harpsichord  was  always  in  order  to  receive  his  musical  friends 

.and  scholars  at  little  private  concerts  or  rehearsals 

'Sundays  I  received  a  sum  for  the  weekly  expenses,  of  which 
my  housekeeping  book  (written  in  English)  showed  the 
amount  laid  out,  and  my  purse  the  remaining  cash.  One  of 
the  principal  things  required  was  to  market,  and  about  six 
weeks  after  coming  to  England  I  was  sent  alone  among 
iishwomen,  butchers,  basket-women,  &c.,  and  I  brought 
home  Avhatever  in  my  fright  I  could  pick  up.  .  .  .  My 
brother  Alex,  who  was  now  returned  from  his  summer  en- 
gagement, used  to  watch  me  at  a  distance,  unknown  to  me, 
till  he  saw  me  safe  on  my  way  home.  But  all  attempts  to 
introduce  any  order  in  our  little  household  proved  vain, 
owing  to  the  servant  my  brother  then  had — a  hot-headed 
old  Welshwoman.  All  the  articles,  tea-things,  Ac.,  which 
I  was  to  take  in  charge,  were  almost  all  destroyed :  knives 
eaten  up  by  rust,  heaters  of  the  tea-urn  found  in  the  ash- 
hole,  &c.  And  what  still  further  increased  my  difficulty 
was,  that  my  brother's  time  was  entirely  taken  up  with 
business,  so  that  I  only  saw  him  at  meals.  Breakfast  was 
at  7  o'clock  or  before  (much  too  early  for  me), — who  would 
rather  have  remained  up  all  night  than  be  obliged  to  rise  at 
;so  early  an  hour.  .  .  . 

"  The  three  winter  months  passed  on  very  heavily. 
I  had  to  struggle  against  helmwehe  (home  sickness)  and  low 
spirits,  and  to  answer  my  sister's  melancholy  letters  on  the 
death  of  her  husband,  by  which  she  became  a  widow  with 
six  children.  I  knew  too  little  English  to  derive  any 
consolation  from  the  society  of  those  who  were  about 
me,  so  that,  dinner-time  excepted,  I  was  entirely  left  to 
myself." 

D 


34  Caroline  Lucretm  Herschel.        [1774-1775. 

Introductions  to  her  brother's  scholars  led  to  occa- 
sional evening  parties,  where  her  voice  was  in  demand 
as  well  for  single  songs  as  to  take  part  in  duets  and 
glees,  and  one  of  these  ladies,  Mrs.  Colebrook,  invited 
her  to  go  to  London  on  a  visit.  This  visit  was 
prolonged  for  several  weeks  owing  to  the  deep  snow, 
which  rendered  the  roads  impassable.  The  Duchess  of 
Ancaster  is  said  to  have  offered  any  sum  to  have  a 
passage  cut  near  Devizes,  but  without  success,  her  Grace 
was  in  consequence  unable  to  be  present  on  the  18th 
January,  when  the  Queen's  birthday  was  kept.  Operas, 
plays,  auctions,  and  all  the  usual  amusements  of  the 
town,  gave  Miss  Herschel  a  glimpse  of  the  gay  world  ; 
but  the  expense  of  dress  and  chairmen  troubled  her 
spirits  too  much  to  allow  of  her  finding  pleasure  in 
these  dissipations ;  and  although  Mrs.  Colebrook  is 
allowed  to  be  both  "  learned  and  clever,"  her  society 
does  not  appear  to  have  contributed  much  more  to 
her  happiness  than  that  of  some  younger  ladies  whose 
companionship  was  offered,  but  whose  visits  she  did 
not  encourage,  because,  as  she  bluntly  explains,  she 
"  thought  them  very  little  better  than  idiots." 

"  The  time  when  I  could  hope  to  receive  a  little  more 
of  m}'  brother's  instruction  and  attention  was  now  drawing 
near;  for  after  Easter,  Bath  becomes  very  empty;  only  a  few  of 
his  scholars  whose  families  were  resident  in  the  neighbour- 
hood remaining.  But  I  was  greatly  disappointed ;  for,  in 
consequence  of  the  harassing  and  fatiguing  life  he  had  led 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  in  Bath.  35 

during  the  winter  months,  he  used  to  retire  to  bed  with  a 
bason  of  milk  or  glass  of  water,  and  Smith's  "Harmonics  and 
Optics,"  Ferguson's  "Astronomy,"  £c.,  and  so  went  to  sleep 
buried  under  his  favourite  authors ;  and  his  first  thoughts 
on  rising  were  how  to  obtain  instruments  for  viewing  those 
objects  himself  of  which  he  had  been  reading.  There  being  in 
one  of  the  shops  a  two  and  a  half  foot  Gregorian  telescope  to 
be  let,  it  was  for  some  time  taken  in  requisition,  and  served 
not  only  for  viewing  the  heavens  but  for  making  experiments 
on  its  construction.  ...  It  soon  appeared  that  my  brother 
was  not  contented  with  knowing  what  former  observers  had 
seen,  for  he  began  to  contrive  a  telescope  eighteen  or 
twenty  feet  long  (I  believe  after  Huyghen's  description).  .  . 
.  .  I  was  much  hindered  in  my  musical  practice  by  my  help 
being  continually  wanted  in  the  execution  of  the  various  con- 
trivances, and  I  had  to  amuse  myself  with  making  the  tube  of 
pasteboard  for  the  glasses  which  were  to  arrive  from  Lon- 
don, for  at  that  time  no  optician  had  settled  at  Bath.  But 
when  all  was  finished,  no  one  besides  my  brother  could  get 
a  glimpse  of  Jupiter  or  Saturn,  for  the  great  length  of  the 
tube  would  not  allow  it  to  be  kept  in  a  straight  line.  This 
difficulty,  however,  was  soon  removed  by  substituting  tin 

tubes My  brother  wrote  to  inquire  the  price  of  a 

reflecting  mirror  for  (I  believe)  a  five  or  six  foot  telescope. 
The  answer  was,  there  were  none  of  so  large  a  size,  but  a 
person  offered  to  make  one  at  a  price  much  above  what  my 

brother  thought  proper  to  give About  this  time  he 

bought  of  a  Quaker  resident  at  Bath,  who  had  formerly 
made  attempts  at  polishing  mirrors,  all  his  rubbish  of  pat- 
terns, tools,  hones,  polishers,  unfinished  mirrors,  &c.,  but 
all  for  small  Gregorians,  and  none  above  two  or  three 
inches  diameter. 

"  But  nothing  serious  could  be  attempted,  for   want  of 
time,  till  the  beginning  of  June,  when  some  of  my  brother's 

D   2 


36  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1774-1775. 

scholars  were  leaving  Bath  ;  and  then  to  my  sorrow  I  saw 
almost  every  room  turned  into  a  workshop.  A  cabinet- 
maker making  a  tube  and  stands  of  all  descriptions  in  a 
handsomely  furnished  drawing-room ;  Alex  putting  up  a 
huge  turning  machine  (which  he  had  brought  in  the  autumn 
from  Bristol,  where  he  used  to  spend  the  summer)  in  a  bed- 
room, for  turning  patterns,  grinding  glasses,  and  turning 
eye-pieces,  &c.  At  the  same  time  music  durst  not  lie  en- 
tirely dormant  during  the  summer,  and  my  brother  had 
frequent  rehearsals  at  home,  where  Miss  Farinelli,  an 
Italian  singer,  was  met  by  several  of  the  principal  per- 
formers he  had  engaged  for  the  winter  concerts 

He  composed  glees,  catches,  &c.,  for  such  voices  as 
he  could  secure,  as  it  was  not  easy  to  find  a  singer  to  take  the 

place  of  Miss  Linley Sometimes,  in  the  absence  of 

Fisher,  he  gave  a  concerto  on  the  oboe,  or  a  sonata  on  the 
harpsichord  ;  and  the  solos  on  the  violoncello  of  iny  brother 
Alexander  were  divine  !  .  .  .  .  He  also  took  great  delight 
in  a  choir  of  singers  who  performed  the  cathedral  service  at 
the  Octagon  Chapel,  for  whom  he  composed  many  excellent 
anthems,  chants,  and  psalm  tunes.*  As  soon  as  I  could 
pronounce  English  well  enough  I  was  obliged  to  attend  the 
rehearsals,  and  on  Sundays  at  morning  and  evening  service, 
which,  though  I  did  not  much  like  at  first,  I  soon  found  to 
be  both  pleasant  and  useful. 

*  Although  a  considerable  quantity  of  Sir  W.  Herschel's  musical  compo- 
sitions exist  in  manuscript,  nmch  has  unhappily  perished.  His  sister  writes  : 
— "  I  only  lament  that  this  anthem  was  left  with  the  rest  of  my  brother's 
sacred  compositions,  which  were  left  in  trust  with  one  of  the  choristers.  The 
morning  and  evening  services  each  in  two  different  keys,  and  numerous  psalm 
tunes  most  beautifully  set.  The  organ  book  containing  the  scores  ;  the  parts 
written  out  and  bound  in  leather,  in  a  box  with  lock  and  key  which  was  always 
kept  at  the  chapel.  All  is  lost.  With  difficulty  many  years  after,  one  Te 
Deum  was  recovered,  and  when  I  was  in  Bath  in  1800  I  obtained  two  or  three 
torn  books  of  odd  parts."  The  chorister's  wife  openly  charged  Mr.  Linley 
with  having  taken  possession  of  these  treasures. 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  111  Bath.  37 

"  But  every  leisure  moment  was  eagerly  snatched  at  for 
resuming  some  work  which  was  in  progress,  without  taking 
time  for  changing  dress,  and  many  a  lace  ruffle  was  torn  or 
bespattered  by  molten  pitch,  &c.,  besides  the  danger  to 
which  he  continually  exposed  himself  by  the  uncommon 
precipitancy  which  accompanied  all  his  actions,  of  which 
we  had  a  melancholy  sample  one  Saturday  evening,  when 
both  brothers  returned  from  a  concert  between  11  and  12 
o'clock,  my  eldest  brother  pleasing  himself  all  the  way 
home  with  being  at  liberty  to  spend  the  next  day  (except  a 
few  hours'  attendance  at  chapel)  at  the  turning  bench,  but 
recollecting  that  the  tools  wanted  sharpening,  they  ran 
with  the  lantern  and  tools  to  our  landlord's  grindstone 
in  a  public  yard,  where  they  did  not  wish  to  be  seen 
on  a  Sunday  morning.  ...  But  my  brother  William 
was  soon  brought  back  fainting  by  Alex  with  the  loss  of 
one  of  his  finger-nails.  This  happened  in  the  winter 
of  1775,  at  a  house  situated  near  Walcot  turnpike, 
to  which  my  brother  had  moved  at  midsummer,  1774. 
On  a  grass  plot  behind  the  house  preparation  was 
immediately  made  for  erecting  a  twenty-foot  telescope, 
for  which,  among  seven  and  ten  foot  mirrors  then  in 
hand,  one  of  twelve  foot  was  preparing;  this  house  offered 
more  room  for  workshops,  and  a  place  on  the  roof  for 
observing. 

"  During  this  summer  I  lost  the  only  female  acquain- 
tances (not  friends)  I  ever  had  an  opportunity  of  being  very 
intimate  with  by  Buhner's  family  returning  again  to  Leeds. 
For  my  time  was  so  much  taken  up  with  copying  music  and 
practising,  besides  attendance  on  my  brother  when  polishing, 
since  by  way  of  keeping  him  alive  I  was  constantly  obliged  to 
feed  him  by  putting  the  victuals  by  bits  into  his  mouth.  This 
was  once  the  case  when,  in  order  to  finish  a  seven  foot  mirror, 
he  had  not  taken  his  hands  from  it  for  sixteen  hours  toge- 


38  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1775-1782. 

ther.*  In  general  he  was  never  unemployed  at  meals,  but 
was  always  at  those  times  contriving  or  making  drawings 
of  \vhatever  came  in  his  mind.  Generally  I  was  obliged 
to  read  to  him  whilst  he  was  at  the  turning  lathe,  or  polish- 
ing mirrors,  Don  Quixote,  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainment, 
the  novels  of  Sterne,  Fielding,  &c. ;  serving  tea  and  supper 
without  interrupting  the  work  with  which  he  was  engaged, 
....  and  sometimes  lending  a  hand.  I  became  in  time  as 
useful  a  member  of  the  workshop  as  a  boy  might  be  to  his 

master  in  the  first  year  of  his  apprenticeship But 

as  I  was  to  take  a  part  the  next  year  in  the  oratorios,  I  had 
for  a  whole  twelvemonth  two  lessons  per  week  from  Miss 
Fleming,  the  celebrated  dancing  mistress,  to  drill  me  for  a 
gentlewoman  (God  knows  how  she  succeeded).  So  we  lived 
on  without  interruption.  My  brother  Alex  was  absent  from 
Bath  for  some  months  every  summer,  but  when  at  home 
he  took  much  pleasure  to  execute  some  turning  or  clock- 
maker's  work  for  his  brother." 

News  from  Hanover  put  a  sudden  stop  for  a  time  to 
all  these  labours.  The  mother  wrote,  in  the  utmost 
distress,  to  say  that  Dietrich  had  disappeared  from  his 
home,  it  was  supposed  with  the  intention  of  going  to 
India  "with  a  young  idler  not  older  than  himself." 
His  brother  immediately  left  the  lathe  at  which  he 
was  turning  an  eye-piece  in  cocoanut,  and  started  for 

*  "  The  grinding  of  specula  used  to  be  performed  by  the  hand,  no  machinery 
having  been  deemed  sufficiently  exact.  The  tool  on  which  they  were  shaped 
having  been  turned  to  the  required  form,  and  covered  with  coarse  emery  and 
water,  they  were  ground  on  it  to  the  necessary  figure,  and  afterwards  polished 
by  means  of  putty  or  oxide  of  tin,  or  pitch  spread  as  a  covering  to  the  same  tool 
in  the  place  of  the  emery.  To  grind  a  speculum  of  six  or  eight  inches  in 
diameter  was  a  work  of  no  ordinary  labour  ;  and  such  a  one  used  to  be  con- 
sidered of  great  size." — "Lord  Basse's  Telescopes,"  1844. 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  in  Bath.  39 

Holland,  whence  lie  proceeded  to  Hanover,  failing 
to  meet  his  brother  as  he  expected.  Meanwhile 
the  sister  received  a  letter  to  say  that  Dietrich  was 
laid  up  very  ill  at  an  inn  in  Wapping.  Alexander 
posted  to  town,  removed  him  to  a  lodging,  and  after  a 
fortnight's  nursing,  brought  him  to  Bath,  where,  on 
his  brother  AVilliam's  return,  he  found  him  being  well 
cared  for  by  his  sister,  who  kept  him  to  a  diet  of 
"  roasted  apples  and  barley-water."  Dietrich  remained 
in  England,  his  brother  easily  procuring  him  employ- 
ment until  1779,  when  he  returned  to  Hanover,  and 
shortly  afterwards  married  a  Miss  Eeif.  The  family 
now  moved  to  a  larger  house,  19,  New  King  Street,"" 
which  had  a  garden  behind  it,  and  open  space  down 
to  the  river.  It  is  incidentally  mentioned,  "that 
here  many  interesting  discoveries  besides  the  Georgium 
Sidus  were  made." 

In  preparation  for  the  oratorios  to  be  performed 
during  Lent,  Miss  Herschel  mentions  that  she  copied 
the  scores  of  the  "  Messiah  "  and  "  Judas  Maccabeus  " 
into  parts  for  an  orchestra  of  nearly  one  hundred  per- 
formers, and  the  vocal  parts  of  "  Samson,"  besides 
instructing  the  treble  singers,  of  which  she  was  now 
herself  the  first.  On  the  occasion  of  her  first  public 
appearance,  her  brother  presented  her  with  ten 
guineas  for  her  dress,— 

*  In  this  house  the  Georgium  Sidus  was  discovered,  1781 ;  a  volcanic 
mountain  in  the  moon,  1783.  Here  the  forty-foot  was  finished,  which  re- 
vealed two  more  volcanic  mountains  in  the  moon,  1789. 


40  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1775-1782. 

"  And  that  my  choice  could  not  have  been  a  bad  one  I 
conclude  from  having  been  pronounced  by  Mr.  Palmer  (the 
then  proprietor  of  the  Bath  theatre)  to  be  an  ornament  to 
the  stage.  And  as  to  acquitting  myself  in  giving  my  songs 
and  recitatives  in  the  'Messiah,'  'Judas  Maccabeus,'  £c., 
I  had  the  satisfaction  of  being  complimented  by  my  friends, 
and  the  Marchioness  of  Lothian,  &c.,  who  were  present  at  the 
rehearsals,  for  pronouncing  my  words  like  an  Englishwoman." 

It  is  evident  that  had  she  chosen  to  persevere,  her 
reputation  as  a  singer  would  have  been  secure.  The 
following  year  she  was  first  singer  at  the  concerts,  and 
was  offered  an  engagement  for  the  Birmingham  Festival, 
which  she  declined,  having  resolved  only  to  sing  in 
public  where  her  brother  was  conductor.  At  this  time 
he  had  repeated  proposals  from  London  publishers  to 
bring  out  some  of  his  vocal  compositions,  but  with  the 
exception  of  "  The  Echo "  catch,  none  of  them  ever 
appeared  in  print.  Besides  the  regular  Sunday  services, 
concerts  and  oratorios  had  to  be  prepared  for  and  per- 
formed in  steady  routine,  sometimes  at  Bristol  also, 
while  the  poor  prima-donna-housekeeper  "  hobbled  on  " 
with  one  dishonest  servant  after  another,  until  Whit 
Sunday,  1782,  when  both  brother  and  sister  played 
and  sung  for  the  last  time,  in  St.  Margaret's  Chapel. 
On  this  occasion,  their  last  performance  in  public,  the 
anthem  selected  for  the  day  was  one  of  the  last  com- 
positions, of  which  mention  has  been  made  above. 

The  name  of  William  Herschel  was  fast  becoming 
famous,  as  a  writer,  a  discoverer,  and  the  possessor  and 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  in  Bath.  41 

inventor  of  instruments  of  unheard-of  power.  He  was 
now  about  to  be  released  from  the  necessity  of  devoting 
the  time  to  music  which  he  was  eager  to  give  to  astro- 
nomical science.*  It  came  about  as  follows  :— 

.  .  .  .  "  He  was  now  frequently  interrupted  by  visitors 
who  were  introduced  by  some  of  his  resident  scholars, 
among  whom  I  remember  Sir  Harry  Engelfield,  Dr.  Blag- 
den,  and  Dr.  Maskelyne.  With  the  latter  he  was  engaged  in 
a  long  conversation,  which  to  me  sounded  like  quarrelling, 
and  the  first  words  my  brother  said  after  he  was  gone  wag  : 
'  That  is  a  devil  of  a  fellow.' .... 

....  I  suppose  their  names  were  not  known,  or  were 
forgotten ;  for  it  was  not  till  the  year  1782  or  1783  that  a 
memorandum  of  the  names  of  visitors  was  thought  of  .... 

....  My  brother  applied  himself  to  perfect  his  mirrors, 
erecting  in  his  garden  a  stand  for  his  twenty -foot  telescope  ; 
many  trials  were  necessary  before  the  required  motions  for 
such  an  unwieldy  machine  could  be  contrived.  Many 
attempts  were  made  by  way  of  experiment  against  a 
mirror  before  an  intended  thirty-foot  telescope  could  be  com- 
pleted, for  which,  between  whiles  (not  interrupting  the 
observations  with  seven,  ten,  and  twenty-foot,  and  writing 
papers  for  both  the  Eoyal  and  Bath  Philosophical  Societies) 
gauges,  shapes,  weight,  &c.,  of  the  mirror  were  calculated, 
and  trials  of  the  composition  of  the  metal  were  made.  In 
short,  I  saw  nothing  else  and  heard  nothing  else  talked  of 
but  about  these  things  when  my  brothers  were  together. 
Alex  was  always  very  alert,  assisting  when  anything  new 
was  going  forward,  but  he  wanted  perseverance,  and  never 
liked  to  confine  himself  at  home  for  many  hours  together. 
And  so  it  happened  that  my  brother  William  was  obliged  to 

*  He  was  elected  a  Fellow  of  the  lioyal  Society,  Dec.  6,  1781. 


42  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [i 775-1 782. 

make  trial  of  my  abilities  in  copying  for  him  catalogues, 
tables,  £c.,  and  sometimes  whole  papers  which  were  lent 
him  for  his  perusal.  Among  them  was  one  by  Mr.  Michel 
and  a  catalogue  of  Christian  Mayer  in  Latin,  which  kept  me 
employed  when  my  brother  was  at  the  telescope  at  night. 
When  I  found  that  a  hand  was  sometimes  wanted  when  any 
particular  measures  were  to  be  made  with  the  lamp  micro- 
meter, &c.,  or  a  fire  to  be  kept  up,  or  a  dish  of  coffee 
necessar}'  during  a  long  night's  watching,  I  undertook  with 
pleasure  what  others  might  have  thought  a  hardship  .... 
"Since  the  discovery  of  the  Georgiuni  Sidus  [March  13, 
1781],  I  believe  few  men  of  learning  or  consequence  left 
Bath  before  they  had  seen  and  conversed  with  its  discoverer, 
and  thought  themselves  fortunate  in  finding  him  at  home 
on  their  repeated  visits.  Sir  William  Watson*  was  almost 
an  intimate,  for  hardly  a  day  passed  but  he  had  something 
to  communicate  from  the  letters  which  he  received  from  Sir 
Joseph  Banks  and  other  members  of  the  Royal  Society, 
from  which  it  appeared  that  my  brother  was  expected 
in  town  to  receive  the  gold  medal.  The  end  of  November 
was  the  most  precarious  season  for  absenting  himself.  But 
Sir  William  went  with  him,  and  it  was  arranged  so  that  they 
set  out  with  the  diligence  at  night,  and  by  that  means  his 

*  "About  the  latter  end  of  tins  month  [December,  1779]  I  happened  to  be 
engaged  in  a  series  of  observations  on  the  lunar  mountains,  and  the  moon 
being  in  front  of  my  house,  late  in  the  evening  I  brought  my  seven-feet  reflec- 
tor into  the  street,  and  directed  it  to  the  object  of  my  observations.  Whilst 
I  was  looking  into  the  telescope,  a  gentleman  coming  by  the  place  where  I 
was  stationed,  stopped  to  look  at  the  instrument.  When  I  took  my  eye  off 
the  telescope,  he  very  politely  asked  if  he  might  be  permitted  to  look  in,  and 
this  being  immediately  conceded,  he  expressed  great  satisfaction  at  the  view. 
Next  morning  the  gentleman,  who  proved  to  be  Dr.  "Watson,  jun.  (now 
Sir  William),  called  at  my  house  to  thank  me  for  my  civility  in  showing  him 
the  moon,  and  told  me  that  there  was  a  Literary  Society  then  forming  at 
Bath,  and  invited  me  to  become  a  member  of  it,  to  which  I  readily  consented.'' 
— Sir  W.  HersclwTs  Journal.  This  occurred  at  a  house  in  River  Street,  which 
was  soon  changed  for  19,  New  King  Street. 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  in  Bath.  43 

absence  did  not  last  above  three  or  four  days,  when  my 
brother  returned  alone,  Sir  William  remaining  with  his  father. 

"Now  a  very  busy  winter  was  commencing;  for  my 
brother  had  engaged  himself  to  conduct  the  oratorios  con- 
jointly with  Hon/ini,  and  had  made  himself  answerable  for 
the  payment  of  the  engaged  performers,  for  his  credit  ever 
stood  high  in  the  opinion  of  every  one  he  had  to  deal  with. 
(He  lost  considerably  by  this  arrangement.)  But,  though 
at  times  much  harassed  with  business,  the  mirror  for 
the  thirty -foot  reflector  was  never  out  of  his  mind,  and  if  a 
minute  could  but  be  spared  in  going  from  one  scholar  to 
another,  or  giving  one  the  slip,  he  called  at  home  to  see  how 
the  men  went  on  with  the  furnace,  which  was  built  in  a  room 
below,  even  with  the  garden. 

"  The  mirror  was  to  be  cast  in  a  mould  of  loam  prepared 
from  horse  dung,  of  which  an  immense  quantity  was  to  be 
pounded  in  a  mortar  and  sifted  through  a  fine  sieve.  It  was 
an  endless  piece  of  work,  and  served  me  for  many  an  hour's 
exercise  ;  and  Alex  frequentry  took  his  turn  at  it,  for  we  were 
all  eager  to  do  something  towards  the  great  undertaking. 
Even  Sir  William  Watson  would  sometimes  take  the  pestle 
from  me  when  he  found  me  in  the  work-room,  where  he 
expected  to  find  his  friend,  in  whose  concerns  he  took  so 
much  interest  that  he  felt  much  disappointed  at  not  being 
allowed  to  pay  for  the  metal.  But  I  do  not  think  my  brother 
ever  accepted  pecuniary  assistance  from  any  one  of  his 
friends,  and  on  this  occasion  he  declined  the  oifer  by  saying 
it  was  paid  for  already. 

"  Among  the  Bath  visitors  were  many  philosophical  gentle- 
men who  used  to  frequent  the  levees  at  St.  James's,  when 
in  town.  Colonel  Walsh,  in  particular,  informed  my  brother 
that  from  a  conversation  he  had  had  with  His  Majesty, 
it  appeared  that  in  the  spring  he  was  to  come  with  his  seven, 
foot  telescope  to  the  King.  Similar  reports  he  received 


44  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL        [1775-1782. 

from  many  others,  but  they  made  no  great  impression  nor 
caused  any  interruption  in  his  occupation  or  study,  and  as 
soon  as  the  season  for  the  concerts  was  over,  and  the  mould, 
&c.,  in  readiness,  a  day  was  set  apart  for  casting,  and  the 
metal  was  in  the  furnace,  but  unfortunately  it  began  to  leak 
at  the  moment  when  ready  for  pouring,  and  both  my 
brothers  and  the  caster  with  his  men  were  obliged  to  run 
out  at  opposite  doors,  for  the  stone  flooring  (which  ought  to 
have  been  taken  up)  flew  about  in  all  directions,  as  high  as 
the  ceiling.  My  poor  brother  fell,  exhausted  with  heat  and 
exertion,  on  a  heap  of  brickbats.  Before  the  second  casting 
was  attempted,  everything  which  could  ensure  success  had 
been  attended  to,  and  a  very  perfect  metal  was  found  in  the 
mould,  which  had  cracked  in  the  cooling. 

"  But  a  total  stop  and  derangement  now  took  place,  and 
nearly  six  or  seven  months  elapsed  before  my  brother  could 
return  to  the  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  his  instruments  and 
observations.  For  one  morning  in  Passion  week,  as  Sir 
William  Watson  was  with  my  brother,  talking  about  the 
pending  journey  to  town,  my  eldest  nephew*  arrived  to  pay 
us  a  visit,  and  brought  the  confirmation  that  his  uncle  was 
expected  with  his  instrument  in  town.  A  chaise  was  at  the 
door  to  take  us  to  Bristol  for  a  rehearsal  in  the  forenoon, 
of  the  '  Messiah,'  which  was  to  be  performed  the  same  evening. 
The  conductor  being  still  lost  in  conversation  with  his  friend, 
was  obliged  to  trust  to  my  poor  abilities  for  filling  the  music 
box  with  the  necessary  parts  for  between  ninety  and  one  hun- 
dred performers.  My  nephew  had  travelled  all  night,  but  we 
took  him  with  us,  for  we  had  not  one  night  in  the  week, 

*  George  Griesbach,  who  with  the  rest  of  the  family  settled  in  England, 
where  they  all  did  well,  their  musical  talents  and  connections  bringing  them 
a  good  deal  under  the  notice  of  the  Court.  Mr.  G.  Griesbach's  youngest 
daughter,  Elizabeth,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Waterhouse,  of  the  British 
Museum.  She  died  in  1874. 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  in  Bath.  45 

except  Friday,  but  what  was  set  apart  for  an  oratorio  either 
at  Bath  or  Bristol.  Soon  after  Easter  a  new  organ  being 
erected  in  St.  James's  Church,  it  was  opened  with  two  per- 
formances of  the  '  Messiah ;'  this  again  took  up  some  of  my 
brother's  time 

....  The  Tuesday  after  Whit  Sunda}^  May  8th,  my 
brother  left  Bath  to  join  Sir  William  Watson  at  his  father's 
in  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  furnished  with  everything  necessary 
for  viewing  double  stars,  of  which  the  first  catalogue  had 
just  then  appeared  in  the  '  Philosophical  Transactions.'  A 
new  seven-foot  stand  and  steps  were  made  to  go  in  a 
moderate  sized  box,  to  be  screwed  together  on  the  spot 
where  wanted.  Flamsteed's  Atlas,  in  which  the  stars  had 
during  the  winter  been  numbered,  catalogues  of  double 
stars,  micrometers,  tables,  &c.,  and  everything  which  could 
facilitate  reviewing  objects,  had  been  attended  to  in  the  pre- 
paration for  the  journey. 

"But  when  almost  double  the  time  had  elapsed  which  my 
brother  could  safely  be  absent  from  his  scholars,  Alex,  as 
well  as  myself,  were  much  at  a  loss  how  to  answer  their 
inquiries,  for,  from  the  letters  we  received,  we  could  learn 
nothing  but  that  he  had  been  introduced  to  the  King  and 
Queen,  and  had  permission  to  come  to  the  concerts  at 
Buckingham  House,  where  the  King  conversed  with  him 
about  astronomy." 

It  was  during  his  absence  at  this  time  that  the  three 
following  letters  were  written  and  received : — 

DEAR  LINA, — 

I  have  had  an  audience  of  His  Majesty  this  morn- 
ing, and  met  with  a  very  gracious  reception.  I  presented 
him  with  the  drawing  of  the  solar  system,  and  had  the 
honour  of  explaining  it  to  him  and  the  Queen.  My 


46  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1775-1782. 

telescope  is  in  three  weeks'  time  to  go  to  Richmond,  and 
meanwhile  to  be  put  up  at  Greenwich,  where  I  shall 
accordingly  carry  it  to-day.  So  you  see,  Lina,  that  you 
must  not  think  of  seeing  me  in  less  than  a  month.  I  shall 
write  to  Miss  Lee  myself;  and  other  scholars  who  inquire 
for  me,  you  may  tell  that  I  'cannot  wait  on  them  till  His  Ma 
jesty  shall  be  pleased  to  give  me  leave  to  return,  or  rather 
to  dismiss  me,  for  till  then  I  must  attend.  I  will  also  write 
to  Mr.  Palmer  to  acquaint  him  with  it. 

I  am  in  a  great  hurry,  therefore  can  write  no  more  at 
present.  Tell  Alexander  that  everything  looks  very  likely 
as  if  I  were  to  stay  here.  The  King  inquired  after  him,  and 
after  my  great  speculum.  He  also  gave  me  leave  to  come 
to  hear  the  Griesbachs  play  at  the  private  concert  which  he 
has  every  evening.  My  having  seen  the  King  need  not  be 
kept  a  secret,  but  about  my  staying  here  it  will  be  best  not 
to  say  anything,  but  only  that  I  must  remain  here  till  His- 
Majesty  has  observed  the  planets  with  my  telescope. 

Yesterday  I  dined  with  Colonel  Walsh,  who  inquired 
after  you.  There  were  Mr.  Aubert  and  Dr.  Maskelyne.  Dr. 
Maskelyne  in  public  declared  his  obligations  to  me  for 
having  introduced  to  them  the  high  powers,  for  Mr.  Aubert 
has  so  much  succeeded  with  them  that  he  says  he  looks 
down  upon  200,  300,  or  400  with  contempt,  and  immediately 
begins  with  800.  He  has  used  2500  very  completely,  and 
seen  my  fine  double  stars  with  them.  All  my  papers  are 
printing,  with  the  postscript  and  all,  and  are  allowed  to  be 
very  valuable.  You  see,  Lina,  I  tell  you  all  these  things.. 
You  know  vanity  is  not  my  foible,  therefore  I  need  not  fear 
your  censure.  Farewell. 

I  am,  your  afi'ectionate  brother, 

WM.  HERSCHEL. 

Saturday  Morning, 

probably  May  25. 


CHAP.  ii. ]  Life  in  Bath.  47 

TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

Monday  Evening,  June  3,  1782. 

DEAR  LINA, — 

I  pass  my  time  between  Greenwich  and  London 
agreeably  enough,  but  am  rather  at  a  loss  for  work  that  I 
like.  Company  is  not  always  pleasing,  and  I  would  much 
rather  be  polishing  a  speculum.  Last  Friday  I  was  at  the 
King's  concert  to  hear  George  play.  The  King  spoke  to  me 
as  soon  as  he  saw  me,  and  kept  me  in  conversation  for  half 
an  hour.  He  asked  George  to  play  a  solo -concerto  on 
purpose  that  I  might  hear  him ;  and  George  plays  extremely 
well,  is  very  much  improved,  and  the  King  likes  him  very 
much.  These  two  last  nights  I  have  been  star-gazing  at 
Greenwich  with  Dr.  Maskelyne  and  Mr.  Aubert.  We  have 
compared  our  telescopes  together,  and  mine  was  found  very 
superior  to  any  of  the  Eoyal  Observatory.  Double  stars  which 
they  could  not  see  with  their  instruments  I  had  the  pleasure 
to  show  them  very  plainly,  and  my  mechanism  is  so  much 
approved  of  that  Dr.  Masketyiie  has  already  ordered  a 
model  to  be  taken  from  mine  and  a  stand  to  be  made  by  it 
to  his  reflector.  He  is,  however,  now  so  much  out  of  love- 
with  his  instrument  that  he  begins  to  doubt  whether  it 
deserves  a  new  stand.  I  have  had  the  influenza,  but  am  now 
quite  well  again.  It  lasted  only  five  or  six  days,  and  I  never 
was  confined  with  it.  ...  There  is  hardly  one  single 
person  here  but  what  has  had  it. 

I  am  introduced  to  the  best  company.  To-morrow  I 
dine  at  Lord  Palmerston's,  next  day  with  Sir  Joseph  Banks, 
&c.,  &c.  Among  opticians  and  astronomers  nothing  now  is 
talked  of  but  what  they  call  my  great  discoveries.  Alas ! 
this  shows  how  far  they  are  behind,  when  such  trifles  as  I 
have  seen  and  done  are  called  great.  Let  me  but  get  at  it 
again  !  I  will  make  such  telescopes,  and  see  such  things — 
that  is,  I  will  endeavour  to  do  so. 


48  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.       [1775-1732. 

The  letter  ends  abruptly  with,  this  sentence,  and 
only  one  more  was  written  during  this  momentous 
interval. 

TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

JulyS,  1782. 

DEAR  CAROLINA, — 

I  have  been  so  much  employed  that  you  will  not 
wonder  at  my  not  writing  sooner.  The  letter  you  sent  me 
last  Monday  came  very  safe  to  me.  As  Dr.  Watson  has 
heen  so  good  as  to  acquaint  you  and  Alexander  with  my 
situation,  I  was  still  more  easy  in  my  silence  to  you.  Last 
night  the  King,  the  Queen,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  the  Princess 
Iloyal,  Princess  Sophia,  Princess  Augusta,  &c.,  Duke  of 
Montague,  Dr.  Heberden,  M.  de  Luc,  &c.,  &c.,  saw  my 
telescope,  and  it  was  a  veiy  fine  evening.  My  instrument 
gave  general  satisfaction.  The  King  has  very  good  eyes, 
and  enjoys  observations  with  telescopes  exceedingly. 

This  evening,  as  the  King  and  Queen  are  gone  to  Kew,  the 
Princesses  were  desirous  of  seeing  my  telescope,  but  wanted 
to  know  if  it  was  possible  to  see  without  going  out  on  the 
grass,  and  were  much  pleased  when  they  heard  that  my 
telescope  could  be  carried  into  any  place  they  liked  best  to 
have  it.  About  8  o'clock  it  was  moved  into  the  Q.ueen's 
apartments,  and  we  waited  some  time  in  hopes  of  seeing 
Jupiter  or  Saturn.  Meanwhile  I  showed  the  Princesses,  and 
several  other  ladies  who  were  present,  the  speculum,  the 
micrometers,  the  movements  of  the  telescope,  and  other 
things  that  seemed  to  excite  their  curiosity.  When  the 
evening  appeared  to  be  totally  unpromising,  I  proposed  an 
artificial  Saturn  as  an  object,  since  we  could  not  have  the 
real  one.  I  had  beforehand  prepared  this  little  piece,  as  I 
guessed  by  the  appearance  of  the  weather  in  the  afternoon 
we  should  have  no  stars  to  look  at.  This  being  accepted 


CHAP,  n.j  Impending  Changes.  49 

with  great  pleasure,  I  had  the  lamps  lighted  up  which  illu- 
minated the  picture  of  a  Saturn  (cut  out  in  pasteboard)  at 
the  bottom  of  the  garden  wall.  The  effect  was  fine,  and  so 
natural  that  the  best  astronomer  might  have  been  deceived. 
Their  royal  highnesses  and  other  ladies  seemed  to  be  much 
pleased  with  the  artifice. 

I  remained  in  the  Queen's  apartment  with  the -ladies  till 
about  half  after  ten,  when  in  conversation  with  them  I 
found  them  extremely  wrell  instructed  in  every  subject  that 
was  introduced,  and  they  seemed  to  be  most  amiable 
characters.  To-morrow  evening  they  hope  to  have  better 
luck,  and  nothing  will  give  me  greater  happiness  than  to  be 
able  to  show  them  some  of  those  beautiful  objects  with 
which  the  heavens  are  so  gloriously  ornamented. 

"Sir  William  Watson  returned  to  Bath  after  a  fortnight  or 
three  weeks'  stay.  From  him  we  heard  that  my  brother 
was  invited  to  Greenwich  with  the  telescope,  where  he 
was  met  by  a  numerous  party  of  astronomical  and  learned 
gentlemen,  and  trials  of  his  instrument  were  made.  In 
these  letters  he  complained  of  being  obliged  to  lead  an 
idle  life,  having  nothing  to  do  but  to  pass  between  London 
and  Greenwich.  Sir  William  received  many  letters  which 
he  was  so  kind  as  to  communicate  to  us.  By  these,  and  from 
those  to  Alexander  or  to  me,  we  learned  that  the  King  wished 
to  see  the  telescope  at  Windsor.  At  last  a  letter,  dated  July  2, 
arrived  from  Therese,  and  from  this  and  several  succeeding 
ones  we  gathered  that  the  King  would  not  suffer  my  brother 
to  return  to  his  profession  again,  and  by  his  writing  several 
times  for  a  supply  of  money  we  could  only  suppose  that  he 
himself  was  in  uncertainty  about  the  time  of  his  return. 

In  the  last  week  of  July  my  brother  came  home,  and  imme- 
diately prepared  for  removing  to  Datchet,  where  he  had 
taken  a  house  with  a  garden  and  grass-plot  annexed,  quite 


50  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1782. 

suitable  for  the  purpose  of  an  observing-place.  Sir  Wm. 
Watson  spent  nearly  the  whole  time  at  our  house,  and  he 
was  not  the  only  friend  who  truly  grieved  at  my  brother's 
going  from  Bath ;  or  feared  his  having  perhaps  agreed  to  no 
very  advantageous  offers  ;  their  fears  were,  in  fact,  not  with- 
out reason The  prospect  of  entering  again  on  the 

toils  of  teaching,  &c.,  which  awaited  my  brother  at  home 
(the  months  of  leisure  being  now  almost  gone  by),  appeared 
to  him  an  intolerable  waste  of  time,  and  by  way  of  alternative 
he  chose  to  be  Royal  Astronomer,  with  a  salary  of  £200 
a  year.  Sir  William  Watson  was  the  only  one  to  Avhoni  the 
sum  was  mentioned,  and  he  exclaimed,  "Never  bought 
monarch  honour  so  cheap  ! "  To  every  other  inquirer,  my 
brother's  answer  was  that  the  King  had  provided  for  him. 

Everything  was  immediately  packed  for  the  removal, 
and  on  the  1st  of  August,  when  the  brothers  and  sister 
walked  over  to  Datchet  from  Slough  (where  the  coach 
passed),  they  found  the  waggon,  with  its  precious  load 
of  instruments,  as  well  as  household  furniture,  waiting 
to  be  unpacked.  The  new  home  was  a  large  neglected 
place,  the  house  in  a  deplorably  ruinous  condition,  the 
garden  and  grounds  overgrown  with  weeds.  For  a 
fortnight  they  had  no  female  servant  at  all ;  an  old 
woman,  the  gardener's  wife,  showed  Miss  Herschel 
the  shops,  where  the  prices  of  everything,  from  coals 
to  butcher's  meat,  appalled  her.  But  these  consi- 
derations weighed  for  nothing  in  her  brother's  eyes 
against  the  delight  of  stables  where  mirrors  could  be 
ground,  a  roomy  laundry,  which  was  to  serve  for  a 
library,  with  one  door  opening  on  a  large  grass-plot, 


CHAP.  IT.]  Removal  to  Datchet.  51 

where  "  the  small  twenty-foot "  was  to  be  erected ;  he 
gaily  assured  her  that  they  could  live  on  eggs  and 
bacon,  which  would  cost  nothing  to  speak  of  now  that 
they  were  really  in  the  country  ! 

The  beginning  of  October,  Alexander  was  obliged  to  return 
to  Bath.  The  separation  was  truly  painful  to  us  all,  and  I 
was  particularly  affected  by  it,  for  till  now  I  had  not  had  time 
to  consider  the  consequence  of  giving  up  the  prospect  of 
making  nryself  independent  by  becoming  (with  a  little  more 
uninterrupted  application)  a  useful  member  of  the  musical  pro- 
fession. But  besides  that  my  brother  William  would  have  been 
very  much  at  a  loss  for  my  assistance,  I  had  not  spirit  enough 
to  throw  myself  on  the  public  after  losing  his  protection. 

Poor  Alexander  !  we  had  hoped  at  first  to  persuade  him 
to  change  Bath  for  London,  where  he  had  the  offer  of  the 
most  profitable  engagements,  and  we  should  then  have  had 
him  near  us  ...  but  he  refused,  and  before  we  saw  him 
again  the  next  year  he  was  married. 

Much  of  my  brother's  time  was  taken  up  in  going,  when 
the  evenings  were  clear,  to  the  Queen's  Lodge  to  show  the 
King,  &c.,  objects  through  the  seven-foot.  But  when  the 
days  began  to  shorten,  this  was  found  impossible,  for 
the  telescope  was  often  (at  no  small  expense  and  risk 
of  damage)  obliged  to  be  transported  in  the  dark  back  to 
Datchet,  for  the  purpose  of  spending  the  rest  of  the  night 
with  observations  on  double  stars  for  a  second  Catalogue. 
My  brother  was  besides  obliged  to  be  absent  for  a  week 
or  ten  days  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  home  the  metal  of 
the  cracked  thirty-foot  mirror,  and  the  remaining  materials 
from  his  work-room.  Before  the  furnace  was  taken  down 
at  Bath,  a  second  twenty-foot  mirror,  twelve-inch  diameter, 
was  cast,  which  happened  to  be  very  fortunate,  for  on  the 

E  2 


52  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1783. 

1st  of  January,  1783,  a  very  fine  one  cracked  by  frost  in  the 
tube.     I  remember  to  have  seen  the  thermometer  \\  degree 

below  zero  for  several  nights  in  the  same  year 

....  In  my  brother's  absence  from  home,  I  was  of  course 
left  solely  to  amuse  myself  with  my  own  thoughts,  which  were 
anything  but  cheerful.  I  found  I  was  to  be  trained  for  an 
assistant-astronomer,  and  by  way  of  encouragement  a  tele- 
scope adapted  for  "  sweeping,"  consisting  of  a  tube  with  two 
glasses,  such  as  are  commonly  used  in  a  "  finder,"  was  given 
me.  I  was  "to  sweep  for  comets,"  and  I  see  by  my  journal 
that  I  began  August  22nd,  1782,  to  write  down  and  describe 
all  remarkable  appearances  I  saw  in  my  "  sweeps,"  which 
were  horizontal.  But  it  was  not  till  the  last  two  months  of 
the  same  year  that  I  felt  the  least  encouragement  to  spend  the 
star-light  nights  on  a  grass-plot  covered  with  dew  or  hoar 
frost,  without  a  human  being  near  enough  to  be  within  call. 
I  knew  too  little  of  the  real  heavens  to  be  able  to  point  out 
every  object  so  as  to  find  it  again  without  losing  too  much  time 
by  consulting  the  Atlas.  But  all  these  troubles  were  removed 
when  I  knew  my  brother  to  be  at  no  great  distance  making 
observations  with  his  various  instruments  on  double  stars, 
planets,  &c.,  and  I  could  have  his  assistance  immediately 
when  I  found  a  nebula,  or  cluster  of  stars,  of  which  I 
intended  to  give  a  catalogue ;  but  at  the  end  of  1783  I  had 
only  marked  fourteen,  when  my  sweeping  was  interrupted 
by  being  employed  to  write  down  my  brother's  observations 
with  the  large  twenty-foot.  I  had,  however,  the  comfort  to  see 
that  my  brother  was  satisfied  with  my  endeavours  to  assist 
him  when  he  wanted  another  person,  either  to  run  to  the 
clocks,  write  down  a  memorandum,  fetch  and  carry  instru- 
ments, or  measure  the  ground  with  poles,  &c.,  &c.,  of 
which  something  of  the  kind  every  moment  would  occur. 
For  the  assiduity  with  which  the  measurements  on  the 
diameter  of  the  Georgiuni  Sidus,  and  observations  of  other 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  at  Datchct.  53 

planets,  double  stars,  £c.,  £c.,  were  made,  was  incredible, 
as  may  be  seen  by  the  various  papers  that  were  given  to 
the  Royal  Society  in  1783,  which  papers  were  written  in  the 
daytime,  or  when  cloudy  nights  interfered.  Besides  this,  the 
twelve-inch  speculum  was  perfected  before  the  spring,  and 
many  hours  were  spent  at  the  turning  bench,  as  not  a  night 
clear  enough  for  observing  ever  passed  but  that  some 
improvements  were  planned  for  perfecting  the  mounting  and 
motions  of  the  various  instruments  then  in  use,  or  some 
trials  were  made  of  new  constructed  eye-pieces,  which  were 
mostly  executed  by  my  brother's  own  hands.  Wishing  to 
save  his  time,  he  began  to  have  some  work  of  that  kind 
done  by  a  watchmaker  who  had  retired  from  business 
and  lived  on  Datchet  Common,  but  the  work  was  so  bad, 
and  the  charges  so  unreasonable,  that  he  could  not  be 
employed.  It  was  not  till  some  time  afterwards  in  his 
frequent  visits  to  the  meetings  of  the  Royal  Society  (made 
in  moonlight  nights),  that  he  had  an  opportunity  of  looking 
about  for  mathematical  workmen,  opticians,  and  founders. 
But  the  work  seldom  answered  expectation,  and  it  was 
kept  to  be  executed  with  improvements  by  Alexander  during 
the  few  months  he  spent  with  us. 

The  summer  months  passed  in  the  most  active  prepara- 
tion for  getting  the  large  twenty-foot  ready  against  the  next 
winter.  The  carpenters  and  smiths  of  Datchet  were  in  daily 
requisition,  and  as  soon  as  patterns  for  tools  and  mirrors  were 
ready,  my  brother  went  to  town  to  have  them  cast,  and  during 
the  three  or  four  months  Alexander  could  be  absent  from 
Bath,  the  mirrors  and  optical  parts  were  nearly  completed. 

But  that  the  nights  after  a  day  of  toil  were  not  given  to 
rest,  may  be  seen  by  the  observations  on  Mars,  of  which  a 
paper,  dated  December  1,  1783,  was  given  to  the  Royal 
Society.  Some  trouble  also  was  often  thrown  away  during 
those  nights  in  the  attempt  to  teach  me  to  re-measure 


54  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [17S3. 

double  stars  with  the  same  micrometers  with  which  former 
measures  had  been  taken,  and  the  small  twenty-foot  was 

given  me  for  that  purpose I  had  also  to  ascertain 

their  places  by  a  transit  instrument  lent  for  that  purpose 
by  Mr.  Dalrymple,  but  after  many  fruitless  attempts  it  was 
seen  that  the  instrument  was  perhaps  as  much  in  fault  as 
my  observations. 

July  8. — I  began  to  use  the  new  Newtonian  small  sweeper, 
(for  a  description  of  this  instrument  see  note  to  Neb.  No.  1, 
V.  class,  at  the  end  of  the  catalogue  of  first  1000  Neb.  and 
Cl.),  but  it  could  hardly  be  expected  that  I  should  meet 
with  any  comets  in  the  part  of  the  heavens  where  I  swept, 
for  I  generally  chose  my  situation  by.  the  side  of  my  bro- 
ther's instrument,  that  I  might  be  ready  to  run  to  the  clock 
or  write  down  memorandums.  In  the  beginning  of  Decem- 
ber I  became  entirely  attached  to  the  writing-desk,  and 
had  seldom  an  opportunity  after  that  time  of  using  my 
newly-acquired  instrument. 

My  brother  began  his  series  of  sweeps  when  the  instru- 
ment was  yet  in  a  very  unfinished  state,  and  my  feelings 
were  not  very  comfortable  when  every  moment  I  was 
alarmed  by  a  crack  or  fall,  knowing  him  to  be  elevated 
fifteen  feet  or  more  on  a  temporary  cross-beam  instead  of  a 
safe  gallery.  The  ladders  had  not  even  their  braces  at  the 
bottom  ;  and  one  night,  in  a  very  high  wind,  he  had  hardly 
touched  the  ground  before  the  whole  apparatus  came  down. 
Some  labouring  men  were  called  up  to  help  in  extricating 
the  mirror,  which  was  fortunately  uninjured,  but  much  work 
was  cut  out  for  carpenters  next  day. 

That  my  fears  of  danger  and  accidents  were  not  wholly 
imaginary,  I  had  an  unlucky  proof  on  the  night  of  the 
31st  December.  The  evening  had  been  cloudy,  but  about 
ten  o'clock  a  few  stars  became  visible,  and  in  the  greatest 
hurry  all  was  got  ready  for  observing.  My  brother,  at  the 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  at  Datchet.  55 

front  of  the  telescope,  directed  me  to  make  some  alteration 
in  the  lateral  motion,  which  was  done  b}^  machinery,  on 
which  the  point  of  support  of  the  tube  and  mirror  rested. 
At  each  end  of  the  machine  or  trough  was  an  iron  hook, 
such  as  butchers  use  for  hanging  their  joints  upon,  and 
having  to  run  in  the  dark  on  ground  covered  a  foot  deep 
with  melting  snow,  I  fell  on  one  of  these  hooks,  which  en- 
tered my  right  leg  above  the  knee.  My  brother's  call, 
"  Make  haste  !  "  I  could  only  answer  by  a  pitiful  cry,  "  I  am 
hooked  !  "  He  and  the  workmen  wrere  instantly  with  me, 
but  they  could  not  lift  me  without  leaving  nearly  two  ounces 
of  my  flesh  behind.  The  workman's  wife  was  called,  but 
was  afraid  to  do  anything,  and  I  Avas  obliged  to  be  my  own 
surgeon  by  applying  aquabusade  and  tying  a  kerchief  about 
it  for  some  days,  till  Dr.  Lind,  hearing  of  my  accident, 
brought  me  ointment  and  lint,  and  told  me  how  to  use 
them.  At  the  end  of  six  weeks  I  began  to  have  some  fears 
about  my  poor  limb,  and  asked  again  for  Dr.  Lind's  opinion : 
he  said  if  a  soldier  had  met  with  such  a  hurt  he  would  have 
been  entitled  to  six  weeks'  nursing  in  a  hospital.  I  had, 
however,  the  comfort  to  know  that  my  brother  was  no  loser 
through  this  accident,  for  the  remainder  of  the  night  was 
cloudy,  and  several  nights  afterwards  afforded  only  a  few  short 
intervals  favourable  for  sweeping,  and  until  the  16th  January 
there  was  no  necessity  for  my  exposing  myself  for  a  whole 
night  to  the  severity  of  the  season. 

I  could  give  a  pretty  long  list  of  accidents  which  \vere 
near  proving  fatal  to  my  brother  as  well  as  myself.  To  make 
observations  with  such  large  machinery,  where  all  around  is 
in  darkness,  is  not  unattended  with  danger,  especially  when 
personal  safety  is  the  last  thing  with  which  the  mind  is 
occupied  ;  even  poor  Piazzi  *  did  not  go  home  without  get- 

*  This  eminent  astronomer  made  inquiries  after  Miss  Herscliel  long  years 
afterwards,  as  is  related  in  the  correspondence.  See  letter  from  Sir  J. 
Herscliel,  dated  Catania,  1824,  p.  174. 


56  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1784-1785. 

ting  broken  shins  by  falling  over  the  rack-bar,  which  projects 
in  high  altitudes  in  front  of  the  telescope,  when  in  the  hurry 
the  cap  had  been  forgotten  to  be  put  over  it. 

Tn  the  long  days  of  the  summer  months  many  ten-  and 
seven-foot  mirrors  were  finished ;  there  was  nothing  but 
grinding  and  polishing  to  be  seen.  For  ten-foot  several  had 
been  cast  with  ribbed  backs  by  way  of  experiment  to  reduce 
the  weight  in  large  mirrors.  In  my  leisure  hours  I 
ground  seven-foot  and  plain  mirrors  from  rough  to  fining 
down,  and  was  indulged  with  polishing  and  the  last  finishing 
of  a  very  beautiful  mirror  for  Sir  William  "Watson, 

An  account  of  the  discoveries  made  with  the  twenty-foot 
and  the  improvements  of  the  mechanical  parts  of  that  instru- 
ment during  the  winter  of  1785,  is  given  with  the  Catalogue 
of  the  first  1000  new  nebula?.  By  which  account  it  must 
plainly  appear  that  the  expenses  of  these  improvements,  and 
those  which  were  yet  to  be  made  in  the  apparatus  of  the 
twenty-foot  (which  in  fact  proved  to  be  a  model  of  a  larger 
instrument),  could  not  be  supplied  out  of  a  salary  of  £200 
a  year,  especially  as  my  brother's  finances  had  been  too 
much  reduced  during  the  six  months  before  he  received 
his  first  quarterly  payment  of  fifty  pounds  (which  was 
Michaelmas,  1782).  Travelling  from  Bath  to  London, 
Greenwich,  Windsor,  backwards  and  forwards,  transporting 
the  telescope,  &c.,  breaking  up  his  establishment  at  Bath 
and  forming  a  new  one  near  the  Court,  all  this,  even 
leaving  such  personal  conveniences  as  he  had  for  many 
years  been  used  to,  out  of  the  question,  could  not  be  obtained 
for  a  trifle;  a  good  large  piece  of  ground  was  required 
for  the  use  of  the  instruments,  and  a  habitation  in  which  he 
could  receive  and  offer  a  bed  to  an  astronomical  friend,  was 
necessary  after  a  night's  observation. 

It  seemed  to  be  supposed  that  enough  had  been  done  when 
my  brother  was  enabled  to  leave  his  profession  that  he  might 


CHAP.  II.]  Removal  from  Datchet  to  Clay  Hall.  57 

have  time  to  make  and  sell  telescopes.  The  King  ordered 
four  ten-foot  himself,  and  many  seven-foot  besides  had  been 
bespoke,  and  much  time  had  already  been  expended  on 
polishing  the  mirrors  for  the  same.  But  all  this  was  only 
retarding  the  work  of  a  thirty  or  forty-foot  instrument,  which 
it  was  my  brother's  chief  object  to  obtain  as  soon  as  possible  ; 
for  he  was  then  on  the  wrong  side  of  forty-five,  and  felt  how 
great  an  injustice  he  would  be  doing  to  himself  and  to  the 
cause  of  Astronomy  by  giving  up  his  time  to  making  tele- 
scopes for  other  observers. 

Sir  William  "Watson,  who  often  in  the  lifetime  of  his 
father  came  to  make  some  stay  with  us  at  Datchet,  saw  my 
brother's  difficulties,  and  expressed  great  dissatisfaction. 
On  his  return  to  Bath  he  met -among  the  visitors  there 
several  belonging  to  the  Court  (among  the  rest  Mde. 
Schwellenberg),  to  whom  he  gave  his  opinion  concerning 
his  friend  and  his  situation  very  freely.  In  consequence  of 
this  my  brother  had  soon  after,  through  Sir  J.  Banks,  the 
promise  that  £2000  would  be  granted  for  enabling  him  to 
make  himself  an  instrument. 

Immediately  every  preparation  for  beginning  the  great 
work  commenced.  A  very  ingenious  smith  (Campion),  who 
was  seeking  employment,  was  secured  by  my  brother,  and 
a  temporary  forge  erected  in  an  upstairs  room. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  the  big,  tumble-clown 
old  house,  which  had  been  taken  possession  of  with 
such  eagerness,  would  not  do  :  the  rain  came  through 
the  ceilings ;  the  damp  situation  brought  on  ague,  and 
in  June  the  brother  and  sister  left  it  for  a  place  called 
Clay  Hall,  Old  Windsor.  But  here  again  unlooked-for 
troubles  arose  in  consequence  of  the  landlady  being  a 


58  Caroline  Lucretia  Hcrschel.  [1786. 

"  litigious  woman,"  who  refused  to  be  bound  to  reason- 

O  ' 

able  terms,  and  at  length,  on  the  3rd  of  April,  1786, 
the  house  and  garden  at  SLOUGH  were  taken,  and  all  the 
apparatus  and  machinery  immediately  removed  there. 

....  And  here  I  must  remember  that  among  all  this 
hurrying  business,  every  moment  after  da3'light  was  allotted 
to  observing.  The  last  night  at  Clay  Hall  was  spent  in 
sweeping  till  daylight,  and  by  the  next  evening  the  telescope 

stood  ready  for  observation  at  Slough A  workman  for 

the  brass  and  optical  parts  was  engaged,  and  two  smiths 
were  at  work  throughout  the  summer  on  different  parts  for 
the  forty-foot  telescope,  and  a  whole  troop  of  labourers  were 
engaged  in  grinding  the  iron  tools  to  a  proper  shape  for  the 
mirror  to  be  ground  on  (the  polishing  and  grinding  by 
machines  was  not  begun  till  about  the  end  of  1788).  These 
heavy  articles  were  cast  in  town,  and  caused  my  brother  fre- 
quent journeys  to  London,  they  were  brought  by  water  as 

far  as  Windsor At  Slough  no  steady  out-of-door 

workman  for  the  sweeping  handle  could  be  met  with,  and  a 
man-servant  was  engaged  as  soon  as  one  could  be  found  fit 
for  the  purpose.  Meanwhile  Campion  assisted,  but  many 
memorandums  were  put  down :  "  Lost  a  neb.  by  the  blunder 
of  the  person  at  the  handle."  If  it  had  not  been  sometimes 
for  the  intervention  of  a  cloudy  or  moonlight  night,  I  know 
not  when  my  brother  (or  I  either),  should  have  got  any 
sleep  ;  for  with  the  morning  came  also  his  workpeople,  of 
whom  there  were  no  less  than  between  thirty  and  forty  at 
work  for  upwards  of  three  months  together,  some  employed 
in  felling  and  rooting  out  trees,  some  digging  and  pre- 
paring the  ground  for  the  bricklayers  who  were  laying  the 
foundation  for  the  telescope,  and  the  carpenter  in  Slough, 
with  all  his  men.  The  smith,  meanwhile,  was  converting  a 


CHAP,  ii.]     Removal  from  Clay  Hall  to  Slough.          59 

waslihouse  into  a  forge,  and  manufacturing  complete  sets  of 
tools  required  for  the  work  he  was  to  enter  upon.  Many 
expensive  tools  also  were  furnished  by  the  ironmongers  in 
Windsor,  as  well  for  the  forge  as  for  the  turner  and  brass  man. 
In  short,  the  place  was  at  one  time  a  complete  workshop  for 
making  optical  instruments,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  go  into  it 
to  see  how  attentively  the  men  listened  to  and  executed  their 
master's  orders  ;  I  had  frequent  opportunities  for  doing  this 
when  I  was  obliged  to  run  to  him  with  my  papers  or  slate, 
when  stopped  in  my  work  by  some  doubt  or  other. 

I  cannot  leave  this  subject  without  regretting,  even 
twenty  years  after,  that  so  much  labour  and  expense 
should  have  been  thrown  away  on  a  swarm  of  pilfering 
work-people,  both  men  and  women,  with  which  Slough,  I 
believe,  was  particularly  infested.  For  at  last  everything 
that  could  be  carried  away  was  gone,  and  nothing  but  rubbish 
left.  Even  tables  for  the  use  of  workrooms  vanished  :  one 
in  particular  I  remember,  the  drawer  of  which  was  filled 
was  slips  of  experiments  made  on  the  rays  of  light  and 
heat,  was  lost  out  of  the  room  in  which  the  women  had  been 
ironing.  This  could  not  but  produce  the  greatest  disorder 
and  inconvenience  in  the  library  and  in  the  room  into  which 
the  apparatus  for  observing  had  been  moved,  when  the 
observatory  was  wanted  for  some  other  purpose ;  they 
were  at  last  so  encumbered  by  stores  and  tools  of  all  sorts 
that  no  room  for  a  desk  or  an  Atlas  remained.  It 
required  my  utmost  exertion  to  rescue  the  manuscripts  in 
hand  from  destruction  by  falling  into  unhallowed  hands  or 
being  devoured  by  mice. 

But  I  will  now  return  to  July,  1786,  when  my  brother 
was  obliged  to  deliver  a  ten-foot  telescope  as  a  present  from 
the  King  to  the  Observatory  of  Gottingen.  Before  he  left 
Slough  on  July  3rd,  the  stand  of  the  forty-foot  telescope 
stood  on  two  circular  walls  capped  with  Portland  stone 


60  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1786. 

(which,  cracking  by  frost,  were  afterwards  covered  with 
oak)  ready  to  receive  the  tube.  The  smith  was  left  to  con- 
tinue to  work  at  the  tube,  which  was  sufficient  employment 
cut  out  for  him  before  he  would  want  farther  direction. 
The  mirror  was  also  pretty  far  advanced,  and  ready  for  the 
polish,  for  I  remember  to  have  seen  twelve  or  fourteen  men 
daily  employed  in  grinding  or  polishing. 

To  give  a  description  of  the  task  (or  rather  tasks)  which 
fell  to  my  share,  the  readiest  way  I  think  will  be  to  tran- 
scribe out  of  a  day-book  which  I  began  to  keep  at  that  time, 
and  called  "  Book  of  work  done." 

July  3. — My  brothers  William  and  Alex,  left  Slough  to 
begin  their  journey  to  Germany.  Mrs.  [Alex.]  Herschel  was 
left  with  me  at  Slough.  By  way  of  not  suffering  too  much 
by  sadness,  I  began  with  bustling  work.  I  cleaned  all  the 
brass-work  for  seven  and  ten-foot  telescopes,  and  put 
curtains  before  the  shelves  to  hinder  the  dust  from  settling 
upon  them  again. 

4th. — I  cleaned  and  put  the  polishing-room  in  order,  and 
made  the  gardener  clear  the  work-yard,  put  everything  in 
safety,  and  mend  the  fences. 

5th. — I  spent  the  morning  in  needle-work.  In  the  after- 
noon went  with  Mrs.  Herschel  to  "Windsor.  "We  chose  the 
hours  from  two  to  six  for  shopping  and  other  business, 
to  be  from  home  at  the  time  most  unlikely  for  any 
persons  to  call,  but  there  had  been  four  foreign  gentlemen 
looking  at  the  instruments  in  the  garden,  they  had  not 
left  their  names.  In  the  evening  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kelly  (Mr. 
Dollond's  daughter)  and  Mr.  Gordon  came  to  see  me. 

6th. — I   put  all  the  philosophical  letters  in  order,  and 

the  collection  of  each  year  in  a  separate  cover. 

***** 

12th. — I  put  paper  in  press  for  a  register,  and  calculated 
for  Flamsteed's  Catalogue. 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  and  Work  at  Slough.  Gl 

Mem, — When  Flamsteed's  Catalogue  was  brought  into 
zones  in  1783,  it  was  only  taken  up  at  45°  from  the  Pole,  the 
apparatus  not  being  then  ready  for  sweeping  in  the  zenith. 

By  July  23rd  the  whole  Catalogue  was  completed  all  but 
writing  it  in  the  clear,  which  at  that  time  was  a  very  neces- 
sary provision,  as  it  was  not  till  the  year  1789  that 
Wollaston's  Catalogue  made  its  appearance.  Many  sweeps 
nearer  the  Pole  than  the  register  of  sweeps,  which  only 
began  at  45°,  being  made,  it  became  necessary  to  provide  a 
register  for  marking  those  sweeps  and  the  nebulae  dis- 
covered in  them. 

14i/i. — Dr.  and  Mrs.  Maskelyne  called  here  with  Dr. 
Shepherd. 

15th. — I  spent  the  day  with  Mrs.  Herschel  at  Mrs. 
Kelly's.  We  met  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Maskelyne  and  Dr. 
Shepherd,  Marquis  of  Huntley,  &c.,  &c.,  there. 

IQth. — I  ruled  part  of  the  register  of  sweeps. 

#•**•** 

l&th. — I  spent  the  whole  day  in  ruling  paper  for  the 
register  ;  except  that  at  breakfast  I  cut  out  ruffles  for  shirts. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelly  and  Mrs.  Ramsden  (Dollond's  sister) 
called  this  evening.  I  tried  to  sweep,  but  it  is  cloudy,  and 
the  moon  rises  at  half-past  ten. 

19tJi. — In  the  evening  we  swept  from  eleven  till  one. 

20£/i. — Prince  Charles  (Queen's  brother)  Duke  of  Saxe- 
Gotha  and  the  Duke  of  Montague  were  here  this  morning. 
I  had  a  message  from  the  King  to  show  them  the  in- 
struments. 

*  *•  *  *  -3.4 

I  had  intended  to  go  on  with  my  Diary  till  my  brother's 
return,  but  it  would  be  tedious,  so  of  the  rest  I  shall  give 
only  a  summary  account,  and  will  mention  in  this  place  that 
all  what  follows  would  but  be  the  same  thing  over  again  ;  for 
the  advantage  of  being  quietly  at  work  in  the  presence  of 


62  Caroline  Lucrctia  HerscheL  [1786. 

my  brother  to  whom  I  could  apply  for  information  the  moment 
a  doubt  occurred,  never  returned  again,  and  often  have  I 
been  racking  my  poor  brains  through  a  day  and  a  night  to 
very  little  purpose.  I  found  it  necessary  to  continue  my 
memoranda  of  "  work  done  "  to  the  last  day  I  had  the  care 
of  my  brother's  MS.  papers.  But  I  had  rather  copy  a  few 
days  more,  as  they  contain  the  discovery  of  my  first  comet, 
and  will  serve  also  to  show  that  I  attempted  to  register  all 
discovered  nebulae,  after  a  precept  my  brother  had  left  me, 
as  this  Avas  necessary  for  revising  the  MS.  of  the  catalogue  of 
the  first  thousand  nebulae,  which  he  expected  at  his  return 
to  find  ready  for  correction  from  the  printers. 

Z. — I  calculated  all  the  day  for  Flamsteed's  Cata- 


logue.    Lord  Mulgrave  called  this  evening 

23rd. — Received  letters  from  Hanover.  Finished  cal- 
culating for  Flamsteed's  Catalogue. 

The  two  following  short  letters  were  carefully 
preserved,  and,  though  they  contain  nothing  of  im- 
portance, they  are  of  interest  as  being  of  the  very 
few  from  the  same  pen  which  are  not  on  scientific 
subjects. 

FROM  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Friday,  July  14,  1786. 
DEAR  SISTER, — 

This  moi'ning  Ave  arrived  safely  at  Hanover.  We  are 
a  little  tired,  but  perfectly  Avell  in  health.  We  travelled 
extra  post  all  the  way  through  very  bad  roads.  The  post 
is  going  out  in  a  very  little  time,  so  that  I  write  in  a  hurry 
that  you  might  hear  from  us  so  much  sooner.  After  a  night 
or  two  of  sleep  here  (by  way  of  recovery)  I  shall  go  on 
to  Gottingen  ;  but  when  I  have  collected  my  thoughts 


CHAP,  ii.]  Life  and  Work  at  Slough.  63 

better  together  I  will  Avrite  more.  Mamma  is  perfectly  well 
and  looks  well.  Jacob  looks  a  little  older,  but  not  nearly  so 
much  as  I  expected.  In  Soplry  [Mrs.  Griesbach]  there  is 
hardly  any  change,  but  a  few  white  hairs  on  her  head. 
John  [Dietrich]  is  just  the  same  as  before,  his  little  boy 
seems  to  be  a  charming  creature.  Farewell,  dear  Lina.  I 
hope  we  shall  see  you  again  in  a  few  weeks.  I  must  finish 
for  Alexander  to  write.  Adieu  once  more. 

FROM  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 

[August,  1786.] 
DEAR  LINA,  — 

"We  are  still  in  Hanover,  and  find  it  a  most  agree- 
able place.  I  have  been  in  Gottingen,  where  Jacob  went 
along  with  me,  and  the  King's  telescope  arrived  there  in 
perfect  order.  The  Society  of  Gottingen  have  elected  me 
a  member.  We  long  very  much  to  hear  from  you,  as  we 
have  never  had  a  letter  yet.  This  is  the  fourth  we  have 
sent  you,  and  we  hope  you  received  the  former  ones.  This 
day  fortnight  we  have  fixed  for  our  setting  out  from  this 
place,  and  be  assured  that  we  shall  be  happy  to  see  old 
England  again,  though  old  Germany  is  no  bad  place. 
Yesterday  and  the  day  before  I  have  seen  the  Bishop  of 
Osnaburgh  and  the  Prince  Edward.  If  an  inquiry  should 
be  made  about  our  return,  you  may  say  (I  hope  with  truth) 
that  we  shall  be  back  by  about  the  24th  of  August.  Adieu, 
Lina. 


j.  —  I  registered  some  sweeps  in  present  time  and  Pole 
distance.  Prince  Eesonico  came  with  Dr.  Shepherd  to  see 
the  instruments.  I  swept  from  ten  till  one. 

ZSth.  —  I   wrote   part   of  Flamstesd's    Catalogue   in   the 
clear.     It  was  a  stormy  night,  we  could  not  go  to  bed. 


C4  Caroline  Lticretia  Herschel.  [17S6. 


j.  —  I  paid  the  smith.  He  received  to-day  the  plates  for 
the  forty-foot  tube.  Above  half  of  them  are  bad,  but  he  thinks 
there  will  be  as  many  good  among  them  as  will  be  wanted, 
and  I  believe  he  intends  to  keep  the  rest  till  they  return. 
Paid  the  gardener  for  four  days  which  he  worked  with  the 
smith.  I  registered  sweeps  to-day.  By  way  of  memoran- 
dum I  will  set  down  in  this  book  in  what  manner  I  proceed. 

I  began  some  time  ago  with  the  last  sweep  which  is 
booked  in  the  old  register  (Flamsteed's  time  and  P.  D.), 
viz.,  571,  and  at  different  times  I  booked  570,  569,  568,  567, 
566,  565.  To-day  I  booked  564  ;  563  is  marked  not  to  be 
registered  ;  560  and  561  I  was  obliged  to  pass  over  on 
account  of  some  difficulty.  The  rest  of  the  day  I  wrote  in 
Flamsteed's  Catalogue.  The  storm  continued  all  the  day, 
but  now,  8  o'clock,  it  turns  to  a  gentle  rain. 

30£/i.  —  I  wound  up  the  sidereal  timepiece,  Field's  and 
Alexander's  clocks,  and  made  covers  for  the  new  and  old 
registers. 

31sf.—  I  booked  558,  557,  and  554;  556,  555,  I  was 
obliged  to  leave  out  on  account  of  some  difficulty. 

Mem.  —  I  find  I  cannot  go  on  fast  enough  with  the 
registering  of  sweeps  to  be  serviceable  to  the  Catalogue  of 
Nebulee.  Therefore  I  will  begin  immediately  to  recalculate 
them,  and  hope  to  finish  them  before  they  return.  Besides, 
I  think  the  consequences  of  registering  the  sweeps  back- 
wards will  be  bad. 

August  1.  —  I  have  counted  one  hundred  nebulae  to-day, 
and  this  evening  I  saw  an  object  which  I  believe  will  prove 
to-morrow  night  to  be  a  comet. 

2ncL  —  To-day  I  calculated  150  nebulas.  I  fear  it  will  not 
be  clear  to-night.  It  has  been  raining  throughout  the  whole 
day,  but  seems  now  to  clear  up  a  little. 

1  o'clock.  —  The  object  of  last  night  is  a  comet. 

3rd.  —  I  did  not  go  to  rest  till  I  had  wrote  to  Dr.  Blagden 


CHAP,  ii.]  Slough. — The  first  Comet.  65 

and  Mr.  Aubert  to  announce  the  comet.  After  a  few  hours* 
sleep,  I  went  in  the  afternoon  to  Dr.  Lind,  who,  with  Mr. 
Cavallo,  accompanied  me  to  Slough,  with  the  intention  of 
seeing  the  comet,  but  it  was  cloudy,  and  remained  so  all  night. 

MISS  HEUSCHEL  TO  DR.    BLAGDEN. 

August  2,  1786. 
SIR, — 

In  consequence  of  the  friendship  which  I  know  to 
exist  between  you  and  my  brother,  I  venture  to  trouble  you, 
in  his  absence,  with  the  following  imperfect  account  of  a 
comet : — 

The  employment  of  writing  down  the  observations  when 
my  brother  uses  the  twenty-foot  reflector  does  not  often  allow 
me  time  to  look  at  the  heavens,  but  as  he  is  now  on  a  visit 
to  Germany,  I  have  taken  the  opportunity  to  sweep  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  sun  in  search  of  comets;  and 
last  night,  the  1st  of  August,  about  10  o'clock,  I  found  an 
object  very  much  resembling  in  colour  and  brightness  the 
27  nebula  of  the  Connoissance  des  Temps,  with  the  differ- 
ence, however,  of  being  round.  I  suspected  it  to  be  a 
comet;  but  a  haziness  coming  on,  it  was  not  possible 
to  satisfy  myself  as  to  its  motion  till  this  evening. 
I  made  several  drawings  of  the  stars  in  the  field  of  view 
with  it,  and  have  enclosed  a  copy  of  them,  with  my  obser- 
vations annexed,  that  you  may  compare  them  together. 

August  1,  1786,  9h  50'.  Fig.  1.  The  object  in  the  centre 
is  like  a  star  out  of  focus,  while  the  rest  are  perfectly  distinct, 
and  I  suspect  it  to  be  a  comet. 

10h  33'.  Fig.  2.  The  suspected  comet  makes  now  a 
perfect  isosceles  triangle  with  the  two  stars  a  and  &. 

llh  8'.  I  think  the  situation  of  the  comet  is  now  as  in 
Fig.  3,  but  it  is  so  hazy  that  I  cannot  sufficiently  see  the 
small  star  b  to  be  assured  of  the  motion. 


66  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1786. 

By  the  naked  eye  the  comet  is  between  the  54  and  53 
Urs£e  Majoris  and  the  14,  15,  and  16  Comae  Berenices,  and 
makes  an  obtuse  triangle  with  them,  the  vertex  of  which 
is  turned  towards  the  south. 

Aug.  2nd,  10h  9'.  The  comet  is  now,  with  respect  to  the 
stars  a  and  b,  situated  as  in  Fig.  4,  therefore  the  motion 
since  last  night  is  evident. 

10h  30'.  Another  considerable  star,  c,  may  be  taken  into 
the  field  with  it  by  placing  a  in  the  centre,  when  the  comet 
and  the  other  star  will  both  appear  in  the  circumference,  as 
in  Fig.  5. 

These  observations  were  made  with  a  Newtonian  sweeper 
of  27-inch  focal  length,  and  a  power  of  about  20.  The 
field  of  view  is  2°  12'.  I  cannot  find  the  stars  a  or  c  in  any 
catalogue,  but  suppose  they  may  easily  be  traced  in  the 
heavens,  whence  the  situation  of  the  comet,  as  it  was  last 
night  at  10h  33',  may  be  pretty  nearly  ascertained. 

You   will   do   me    the   favour   of    communicating  these 
observations  to  my  brother's  astronomical  friends. 
I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

Sir, 
Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

CAROLINA  HERSCHEL. 
August  2nd,  1786. 

SLOUGH,  NEAR  WINDSOR. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  ALEX.  AUBERT,  ESQ. 

SLOUGH,  Augvst  2,  178G. 

DEAR  SIR, — 

August  1st,  in  the  evening,  at  10  o'clock,  I  saw  an 
object  very  much  resembling  (in  colour  and  brightness)  the 
27  of  Mr.  Messier's  Nebulae,  except  this  object  being  round. 
I  suspected  it  to  be  a  comet ;  but  a  haziness  came  on  before 
I  could  convince  myself  of  its  having  moved.  I  made 
several  figures  of  the  objects  in  the  field,  whereof  I  take  the 


CHAP,  ii.]  Sloitgh. — The  first  Comet.  67 

liberty  to  send  the  first,  that  you  might  compare  it  with 
what  I  saw  to-night. 

In  Fig.  1  I  observed  the  nebulous  spot  in  the  centre,  a 
bright  red  but  small  star  upwards,  another  very  faint  white 
star  following,  and  in  the  situation  as  marked  in  the  figure. 
There  is  a  third  star  preceding,  but  exceedingly  faint.  I 
suspected  several  more,  which  may  perhaps  appear  in  a 
finer  evening,  but  they  were  not  distinct  enough  to  take 
account  of. 

In  Fig.  2,  August  2nd,  are  only  the  red  and  its  follow- 
ing star :  the  preceding,  in  Fig.  1,  is  partly  hid  in  the  rays 
of  the  comet,  and  by  one  or  two  glimpses  I  had,  I  think  it 
is  got  before  it. 

In  Fig.  3  I  took  the  comet  in  the  edge  by  way  of 
taking  in  the  assistance  of  another  star  of  about  the  same 
size  and  colour  as  that  in  the  centre. 

The  only  stars  I  can  possibly  see  with  the  naked  eye 
which  might  be  of  service  to  point  out  the  place  of  the 
comet  are  53  and  54  Ursse  Maj.,  from  which  it  is  at  about  an 
equal  distance  with  the  14,  15,  and  16  Comae  Ber.,  and 
makes  an  obtuse  angle  with  them.  I  think  it  must  be  about 
1°  above  the  parallel  of  the  15  Comae. 

I  made  these  observations  with  my  little  Newtonian 
sweeper,  and  used  a  power  of  about  30 :  the  field  is  about 
lj  degree. 

I  hope,  sir,  you  will  excuse  the  trouble  I  give  you  with 
my  wag  [g#.  vague]  description,  which  is  owing  to  my  being 
a,  bad  (or  what  is  better)  no  observer  at  all.  For  these 
last  three  years  I  have  not  had  an  opportunity  to  look  as 
many  hours  in  the  telescope. 

Lastly,  I  beg  of  you,  sir,  if  this  comet  should  not  have 
been  seen  before,  to  take  it  under  your  protection  in  regard 
to  A.  R.  and  D.  C. 


F   2 


68  Caroline  Lucrctia  Herschel.  [1786. 

With  my  respectful  compliments  to  the  ladies,  your  sisters,. 
I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

Sir, 
Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

DR.   BLAGDEN  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

GOWER  STREET,  BEDFORD  SQUARE, 

August  5,  1786. 

MADAM, — 

Mr.  Aubert's  letter,  as  well  as  that  with  which  you 
favoured  me,  both  arrived  safe.  The  evening  was  fine  on 
Thursday,  but  Mr.  Aubert  was  prevented  from  going  to 
Loam  Pit  Hill,  and  I  have  no  opportunity  of  making 
astronomical  observations  here,  so  that  I  believe  the  comet 
has  not  yet  been  seen  by  anyone  in  England  but  yourself. 
Yesterday  the  visitation  of  the  Koyal  Observatory  at 
Greenwich  was  held,  where  most  of  the  principal  astrono- 
mers in  and  near  London  attended,  which  afforded  an 
opportunity  of  spreading  the  news  of  your  discovery,  and  I 
doubt  not  but  many  of  them  will  verify  it  the  next  clear 
night.  I  also  mentioned  it  in  a  letter  to  Paiis,  and  in 
another  I  had  occasion  to  write  to  Munich,  in  Germairy. 
If  the  weather  should  be  favourable  on  Sunday  evening,  it 
is  not  impossible  that  Sir  Joseph  Banks  and  some  friends 
from  his  house  may  wait  upon  you  to  beg  the  favour  of 
viewing  this  phenomenon  through  your  telescope. 

Accept  my  best  thanks  for  your  obliging  attention  in 
communicating  to  me  the  news,  and  believe  me  to  be,  with 
great  esteem, 

Your  obedient,  humble  servant, 

C.  BLAGDEN. 


i 'HAP.  ii.]  Slough. —  The  first  Comet.  69 

ALEX.   AUBERT,   ESQ.,   TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

LONDOX,  7th  August,  1786. 

DEAR  Miss  HERSCHEL, — 

I  am  sure  you  have  a  better  opinion  of  me  than  to 
think  I  have  been  ungrateful  for  your  very,  very  kind  letter 
of  the  2nd  August.  You  will  have  judged  I  wished  to  give 
you  some  account  of  your  comet  before  I  answered  it.  I 
wish  you  joy,  most  sincerely,  on  the  discovery.  I  am  more 
pleased  than  you  can  well  conceive  that  you  have  made  it, 
and  I  think  I  see  your  ivotiderfully  clever  and  wonderfully 
amiable  brother,  upon  the  news  of  it,  shed  a  tear  of  joy. 
You  have  immortalized  your  name,  and  you  deserve  such  a 
reward  from  the  Being  who  has  ordered  all  these  things  to 
move  as  we  find  them,  for  your  assiduity  in  the  business  of 
astronomy,  and  for  your  love  for  so  celebrated  and  so 
deserving  a  brother.  I  received  your  very  kind  letter  about 
the  comet  on  the  3rd,  but  have  not  been  able  to  observe  it 
till  Saturday,  the  5th,  owing  to  cloudy  weather.  I  found  it 
immediately  by  your  directions ;  it  is  very  curious,  and  in 
every  respect  as  you  describe  it.  I  have  compared  it  to  a 
fixed  star,  on  Saturday  night  and  Sunday  night 

You  see  it  travels  very  fast — at  the  rate  of  2°  10'  per  day — 
and  moves  but  little  in  N.  P.  D.  These  observations  were 
made  with  an  equatorial  micrometer  of  Mr.  Smeaton's  con- 
struction, which  your  brother  must  recollect  to  have  seen  at 
Loam  Pit  Hill.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  meridian  observa- 
tions with  my  transit  instrument  and  mural  quadrant  must 
have  been  much  more  accurate.  I  give  you  a  little  figure 
of  its  appearance  last  night  and  the  preceding  night  upon 
the  scale  of  Flamsteed's  Atlas  Ccelestis  [here  follows  the 
.sketch -figure]. 

By  the  above,  you  will  see  it  will  be  very  near  19  of 


70  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1786. 

Comse  Berenices  to-night,  and  it  will  be  a  curious  observa- 
tion if  it  should  prove  an  occultation  of  one  of  the  stars  of 
the  Comse.  Notice  has  been  given  to  astronomers  at  home 
and  abroad  of  the  discovery.  I  shall  continue  to  observe  it, 
and  will  give  you  by-and-by  a  further  account  of  it.  In  the 
meanwhile  believe  me  to  be,  with  much  gratitude  and 
regard, 

Dear  Miss  Herschel, 

Your  most  obedient  and  obliged 
humble  servant, 

ALEX.  AUBERT. 

P.S. — I  was  glad  to  hear  to-day,  by  my  friends  at  our  club,, 
that  they  had  seen  you  last  night  in  good  health ;  pray  let 
me  know  what  news  you  have  of  your  brother,  and  when  we 
may  expect  to  see  him.  I  have  had  twice  at  Loani  Pit  Hill 
his  serene  highness  the  Duke  of  Saxe  Gotha,  and  enter- 
tained him,  Count  Bruhl,  and  Mr.  Oriani  (a  Milanese  astro- 
nomer), with  your  comet  last  night.  My  sisters  return  you 
many  thanks  for  your  kind  remembrance,  and,  with  their 
best  compliments,  enjoin  me  to  wish  you  joy. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  DIETRICH  HERSCHEL. 

SLOUGH,  August  4,  1786. 
DEAR  BROTHER, — 

We  received  yesterday  William's  and  Alexander's 
letter,  and  find  that  they  intend  to  leave  Hanover  on  the  8th 
of  August,  therefore  they  will  not  see  the  contents  of  this. 
However,  as  you  have  an  instrument,  I  think  you  are 
entitled  to  information  of  a  telescopic  comet  which  I 
happened  to  discover  on  the  1st  of  August,  and  which  I 
found,  by  the  observations  of  the  2nd,  to  have  moved 
nearly  three-quarters  of  a  degree.  Last  night  it  was  cloudy,, 
but  I  hope  the  weather  will  be  more  favourable  another 


CHAP.  ii. j  Employments  at  Slough.  71 

night,  that  we  may  see  a  little  more  of  it.  I  believe  you 
have  a  pair  of  Harris's  maps ;  the  place  where  I  saw  the 
comet  is  between  53  and  54  Ursse  Maj.  and  the  14,  15,  and 
16  Coma?  Ber.  of  Flamsteed's  Catalogue.  All  stars  of 
Flamst.  are  in  Bode's  Cat.  to  be  found,  and  if  you  cannot  do 
without  it,  I  dare  say  it  is  to  be  met  with  at  Hanover.  .  .  . 

I  found  it  with  a  magnifier  of  about  30,  with  a  field  of 
about  \\  degree.  Now,  if  you  have  a  piece  which  is  nearly 
like  this,  I  would  advise  you  to  make  use  of  that  in  sweeping 
all  around  this  place,  for  it  must  be,  by  the  time  you  receive 
this  letter,  at  a  considerable  distance. 

When  I  saw  it,  it  appeared  like  a  very  bright,  but  round, 
small  nebula. 

The  first  letter  I  received  from  Hanover  from  William 
gave  us  the  greatest  satisfaction  imaginable,  for  it  contained 
an  account  of  the  good  health  of  all  our  dear  relations.  I 
hope  our  dear  mother  does  not  grieve  too  much  now  they 
have  left  her.  I  dare  say  William  will  pay  soon  another 
visit,  and  then  I  will  take  that  opportunity  of  coming  to  see 
her.  Farewell,  dear  brother;  give  my  best  love,  &c. 

To  this  period  of  Miss  Herschel's  life  belongs  a  folio 
manuscript  book,  written  with  the  utmost  neatness, 
which  she  sent  with  one  of  her  various  consignments- 
of  papers  to  her  nephew  after  her  return  to  Hanover, 
and  introduced  as  follows  : — 

DEAR  NEPHEW, — 

This  is  the  fragment  of  a  book  which  was  too  bulky 
for  the  portfolio  in  which  I  was  collecting  such  papers  as  I 
wished  might  not  fall  into  any  other  but  your  own  hands. 
They  contain  chiefly  answers  of  your  father  to  the  inquiries 
I  used  to  make  when  at  breakfast  before  we  separated  each 
for  our  daily  tasks. 


72  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.        [1786-1787. 

The  information  is  of  a  very  miscellaneous  kind, 
but  matters  connected  with  her  special  study  form 
the  greater  part  of  the  questions.  For  instance : — 

"  Given  the  true  time  of  the  transit — take  a  transit. 
Do  the  same  thing  another  way. 
To  find  what  star  Mercury  is  nearest. 
Take  its  place  in  the  Nautical  Almanac. 

Another  way 

*•#**# 

Time  of  a  star's  motion  to  be  turned  into  space. 

***** 

To  adjust  the  quadrant  when  fastened  to  the  telescope. 

***** 

A  logarithm  given,  to  find  the  angle. 
Oblique  spherical  triangles." 

4th. — I  wrote  to-day  to  Hanover,  booked  my  observations, 
.and  made  a  fair  copy  of  three  letters.  Made  accounts. 
The  night  is  cloudy. 

5th. — I  calculated  nebulae  all  day.  The  night  was  toler- 
ably fine,  and  I  saw  the  comet. 

6th. — I  booked  my  observations  of  last  night.  Received 
a  letter  from  Dr.  Blagden  in  the  moming,  and  in  the  evening 
Sir  J.  Banks,  Lord  Palmerston,  and  Dr.  Blagden,  came  and 
saw  the  comet.  The  evening  was  very  fine. 

7th,  8th. — Booked  my  observations ;  was  hindered  much 
by  being  obliged  to  find  a  man  to  assist  the  smith.  Dr. 
Lind  and  Mr.  Cavallo  came  on  the  8th,  and  Mr.  Paradise 
in  the  afternoon,  but  the  evening  was  cloudy. 

9th. — I  calculated  100  nebulae 

lOt/t. — Calculated  100  nebulae.  The  smith  borrowed  a 
guinea.  He  complains  of  Turner  (the  gardener),  but  we 
will,  if  possible,  have  patience  till  my  brother  returns. 


CHAP,  ii.]  Employments  at  Slough.  73 

lltk.  I  completed  to-day  the  catalogue  of  the  first 
thousand. 

12£/i calculated  200  nebulae  of  the  second  thou- 
sand. 

13i/i.  Professor  Kratzensteine,  from  Copenhagen,  was 
here  to-day.  In  the  evening  I  saw  the  comet  and  swept. 

14tk I  calculated  140  nebulae  to-day,  which 

brought  me  up  to  the  last  discovered  nebulae,  and,  therefore, 
this  work  is  finished. 

15th.  I  went  up  with  Mrs.  H.  to  Windsor  to  pay  some 
bills  and  to  buy  several  articles  against  my  brother's  return. 

Wtli my  brothers  returned  about  three  in  the 

afternoon. 


It  would  be  impossible  for  me,  if  it  were  required,  to  give 
a  regular  account  of  all  that  passed  around  me  in  the  lapse 
of  the  following  two  years,  for  they  were  spent  in  a  perfect 
chaos  of  business.  The  garden  and  workrooms  were 
swarming  with  labourers  and  workmen,  smiths  and  carpenters 
going  to  and  fro  between  the  forge  and  the  forty-foot 
machinery,  and  I  ought  not  to  forget  that  there  is  not  one 
screw-bolt  about  the  whole  apparatus  but  what  was  fixed 
under  the  immediate  eye  of  my  brother.  I  have  seen  him 
lie  stretched  many  an  hour  in  a  burning  sun,  across  the 
top  beam  whilst  the  iron  work  for  the  various  motions  was 
being  fixed. 

At  one  time  no  less  than  twenty-four  men  (twelve  and 
twelve  relieving  each  other)  kept  polishing  day  and  night ; 
my  brother,  of  course,  never  leaving  them  all  the  while, 
taking  his  food  without  allowing  himself  time  to  sit  down 
to  table. 

The  moonlight  nights  were  generally  taken  advantage  of  for 
experiments,  and  for  the  frequent  journeys  to  town  which  he 


74  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1786-1787. 

was  obliged  to  make  to  order  and  provide  the  tools  and 
materials  which  were  continually  wanting,  I  may  say  by 
wholesale. 

The  discovery  of  the  Georgian  satellites  caused  many 
breaks  in  the  sweeps  which  were  made  at  the  end  of  1786 
and  beginning  of  1787,  by  leaving  off  abruptly  against  the 
meridian  passage  of  the  planet,  .which  occasioned  much 
work,  both  in  shifting  of  the  instrument  and  booking  the 
observations.  Much  confusion  at  first  prevailed  among 
the  loose  papers  on  which  the  first  observations  were 
noted,  and  some  of  them  have  perhaps  been  lost ;  for  I 
remember  several  configurations  of  the  situation  of  the 
satellites  having  been  made  by  Sir  William  Watson  and  Mr. 

Marsden,  and  only  one  could  be  found 

*  #  #  *  * 

That  the  discovery  of  these  satellites  must  have  brought 
many  nocturnal  visitors  to  Slough  may  easily  be  imagined, 
and  many  times  have  I  listened  with  pain  to  the  conversation 
my  brother  held  with  his  astronomical  friends  when  quite 
exhausted  by  answering  their  numerous  questions.  For  I 
well  knew  that  on  such  occasions,  instead  of  renewing  his 
strength  by  going  to  rest,  that  there  were  too  man}-  who 
could  not  go  on  without  his  direction,  among  whom  I  often 
was  included,  for  I  very  seldom  could  get  a  paper  out  of  his 
hands  time  enough  for  finishing  the  copy  against  the 
appointed  day  for  its  being  taken  to  town.  But  considering 
that  no  less  than  seven  papers  were  delivered  to  the  Pioj-al 
Society  in  1786-1787,  it  may  easily  be  judged  that  my 
brother's  study  had  not  been  entirely  deserted.  I  had 
always  some  kind  of  work  in  hand  with  which  I  could 
proceed  without  troubling  him  with  questions  ;  such  as  the 
temporary  index  which  I  began  in  June,  1787.  Some 
years  after,  the  index  to  Flamsteed's  observations,  calculat- 
ing the  beginning  and  ending  of  sweeps  and  their  breadth, 


CHAP,  ii.]  Slough — Appointed  Assistant  Astronomer, ,75 

for  filling  up  the  vacant  places  in  the  registers,  and  works  of 
that  kind,  filled  up  the  intervals  when  nothing  more  neces- 
sary was  in  hand. 

My  brother  Jacob  was  with  us  from  April  till  October, 
1787,  when  he  returned  to  Hanover  again.  Alexander  came 
only  for  a  short  time  to  give  his  brother  the  meeting, 
Mrs.  H.  being  too  ill  to  be  left  long  alone.  (She  died  in 
January  of  1788.) 

Professor  Snaidecky  often  saw  some  objects  through  the 
twentj'-foot  telescope,  among  others  the  Georgian  satellites. 
He  had  taken  lodgings  in  Slough  for  the  puqDose  of  seeing 
and  hearing  my  brother  whenever  he  could  find  him  at 
leisure  ;  he  was  a  very  silent  man. 

My  brother's  bust  was  taken  by  Lockie,  according  to  Sir 
Wm.  Watson's  order.  Professor  Wilson  and  my  brother 
Jacob*  were  present. 

In  August  an  additional  man-servant  was  engaged,  who 
would  be  wanted  at  the  handles  of  the  motions  of  the  forty- 
foot,  for  which  the  mirror  in  the  beginning  of  July  was  so 
far  finished  as  to  be  used  for  occasional  observations  on  trial. 

Such  a  person  was  also  necessary  for  showing  the 
telescopes  to  the  curious  strangers,  as  by  their  numerous 
visits  my  brother  or  myself  had  for  some  time  past  been 
much  incommoded.  In  consequence  of  an  application 
made  through  Sir  J.  Banks  to  the  King,  my  brother 
had  in  August  a  second  £2,000  granted  for  completing 
the  forty-foot,  and  £200  yearly  for  the  expense  of  re- 
pairs, such  as  ropes,  painting,  &c.,  &c.,  and  the  keep  and 
clothing  of  the  men  who  attended  at  night.  A  salary  of 
fifty  pounds  a  year  was  also  settled  on  me  as  an  assistant  to 
my  brother,  and  in  October  I  received  twelve  pounds  ten, 
being  the  first  quarterly  payment  of  my  salary,  and  the  first 

*  This  is  the  last  time  that  the  name  of  Jacob  Herschel  appears. 


76  Caroline  Lucrctia  Herschel.        [1767-1788. 

money  I  ever  in  all  my  lifetime  thought  myself  to  be  at 
liberty  to  spend  to  my  own  liking.  A  fgreat  uneasiness 
was  by  this  means  removed  from  my  mind,  for  though  I  had 
generally  (and  especially  during  the  last  busy  six  years)  been 
almost  the  keeper  of  my  brother's  purse,  with  a  charge 
to  provide  for  my  personal  wants,  only  annexing  in  my 
accounts  the  memorandum  for  Car.  to  the  sums  so  laid 
out — when  cast  up,  they  hardly  amounted  to  seven  or 
eight  pounds  per  year  since  the  time  we  had  left  Bath. 
Nothing  but  bankruptcy  had  all  the  while  been  running 
through  my  silly  head,  when  looking  at  the  sums  of  my  weekly 
accounts  and  knowing  they  could  be  but  trifling  in  compari- 
son with  what  had  been  and  had  yet  to  be  paid  in  town,  for 
my  brother  had  not  been  fortunate  enough  to  meet  with  a 
reasonable  man  for  a  caster  who  could  also  furnish  the 
crane,  &c.,  and  his  bills  came  in  greatly  overcharged.  But 
more  of  this  in  another  place.  I  will  only  add  that  from 
this  time  the  utmost  activity  prevailed  to  forward  the  com- 
pletion of  the  forty-foot.  An  additional  optical  workman 
was  engaged,  and  preparation  made  for  casting  the  second 
mirror.  Journeys  to  town  were  made  for  moulding,  and  at 
the  end  of  January  a  fine  cast  mirror  arrived  safely  at 
Slough.  Several  seven-foot  telescopes  were  finished  and 
sent  off. 

The  fine  nights  were  not  neglected,  though  observations 
were  often  interrupted  by  visitors.  Messrs.  Casini,  Meehain, 
Le  Genre,  and  Carochet  spent  November  26th  and  27th  with 
my  brother,  and  saw  many  objects  in  the  twenty-foot  and 
other  instruments. 

The  catalogue  of  the  second  thousand  new  nebulae 
wanted  but  a  few  numbers  in  March  to  being  complete. 
The  observations  on  the  Georgian  satellites  furnished  a 
paper  which  was  delivered  to  the  Royal  Society  in  May. 
The  8th  of  that  month  being  fixed  on  for  my  brother's 


CHAP,  ii.]     Slo2igh — Marriage  of  Dr.  Herschel.        77 

marriage,  it  may  easily  be  supposed  that  I  must  have  been 
fully  employed  (besides  minding  the  heavens)  to  prepare 
everything  as  well  as  I  could  against  the  time  I  was  to  give 
up  the  place  of  a  housekeeper,  which  was  the  8th  of  May, 
1788. 


END    OF   RECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LIFE    AFTER   HER   BROTHER'S   MARRIAGE. 

WITH  the  second  volume  of  "  Recollections"  all 
connected  narrative  and  detailed  relation  of  daily 
events  ceases,  and  for  the  ten  years  from  1788  to  1798 
there  is  not  even  the  journal,  which,  however,  was 
resumed  in  the  latter  year.  All  has  been  destroyed. 
An  event  so  important  as  her  brother's  marriage  *  is 
only  noticed  as  fixing  the  date  when  the  "  place  of  a 
housekeeper  "  had  to  be  resigned.  Miss  Herschel  lived 
from  henceforth  in  lodgings,  coming  every  day  for  her 
work,  and  in  all  respects  continuing  the  same  labours 
as  her  brother's  assistant  and  secretary  as  before.  But 
it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  a  nature  so  strong  and 
a  heart  so  affectionate  should  accept  the  new  state  of 
things  without  much  and  bitter  suffering.  To  resign 
the  supreme  place  by  her  brother's  side  which  she  had 
filled  for  sixteen  years  with  such  hearty  devotion  could 

*  Dr.  Herschel  married  Mary,  only  child  of  Mr.  James  Baldwin,  a  merchant 
of  the  City  of  London,  and  widow  of  John  Pitt,  Esq.,  by  whom  she  had  one 
son,  who  died  in  early  youth.  She  was  a  lady  of  singular  amiability  and 
gentleness  of  character.  The  jointure  which  she  brought  enabled  Dr. 
Herschel  to  pursue  his  scientific  career  without  any  anxiety  about  money 
matters. 


CHAP,  in.]  Her  Brother's  Marriage.  79 

not  be  otherwise  than  painful  in  any  case ;  but  how 
much  more  so  in  this  where  equal  devotion  to  the 
same  pursuit  must  have  made  identity  of  interest  and 
purpose  as  complete  as  it  is  rare.  One  who  could 
both  feel  and  express  herself  so  strongly  was  not 
likely  to  fall  into  her  new  place  without  some  outward 
expression  of  what  it  cost  her — tradition  confirms 
the  assumption — and  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  this 
long  significant  silence  is  due  to  the  light  of  later 
wisdom  and  calmer  judgment  which  counselled  the 
destruction  of  all  record  of  what  was  likely  to  be 
painful  to  survivors. 

Her  later  letters  abundantly  show  that  she  had 
learned  to  love  the  gentle  sister-in-law  whom  she  so 
pathetically  entreats  to  hold  on  with  her  in  their 
common  old  age,  and  the  journals  of  her  astro- 
nomical researches  sufficiently  prove  that  her  zeal 
in  "  minding  the  Heavens  "  knew  no  abatement.  It 
was  at  this  period  also  that  she  made  some  of  her 
most  important  discoveries.  Before  the  end  of  1797 
she  had  announced  the  discovery  of  eight  comets,  to 
•five  of  which  the  priority  of  her  claim  over  other 
observers  is  unquestioned.  A  packet,  in  coarse  paper, 
bearing  the  superscription,  "  This  is  what  I  call  the 
Sills  and  Receipts  of  my  Comets,"  contains  some  data 
connected  with  the  discovery  of  these  objects,  each 
folded  in  a  separate  paper,  and  marked  "  First  Comet," 
"  Second  Comet,"  &c.,  &c.  Some  of  the  correspond- 


80  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1788. 

ence  on  the  occasion  of  her  first  discovery  has  already 
been  quoted,  and  in  a  note  she  explains  that  many  of  the 
letters  from  distinguished  men  which  she  received  had 
been  given  to  collectors  of  autographs.  The  letter  to 
the  Astronomer  Royal,  announcing  the  discovery  of 
her  second  comet,  has  been  preserved,  with  his 
answer. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  THE  REV.  DR.   MASKELYNK 

DEAR  SIR, — 

Last  night,  December  21st,  at  7h  45',  I  discovered  a 
comet,  a  little  more  than  one  degree  south — preceding  ft 
Lyrse.  This  morning,  between  five  and  six,  I  saw  it  again, 
when  it  appeared  to  have  moved  about  a  quarter  of  a  degree 
towards  8  of  the  same  constellation.  I  beg  the  favour  of 
you  to  take  it  under  your  protection. 

Mrs.  Herschel  and  my  brothers  join  with  me  in  com- 
pliments to  Mrs.  Maskeryne  and  yourself,  and  I  have  the 
honour  to  remain, 

Dear  sir, 

Your  most  obliged,  humble  servant, 

CAROLINA  HERSCHEL. 
SLOUGH,  Dec.  22,  1788. 

P.S. — The  comet  precedes  13  Lyrse  7'  5"  in  time,  and  is 
in  the  parallel  of  the  small  star  (/3  being  double).  See  fifth 
class,  third  star,  of  my  catalogue. — WM.  H. 

THE  REV.    DR.   MASKELYNE  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

GREENWICH,  December  27,  1788. 

DEAR  Miss  CAROLINE, — 

I  thank  you  for  your  favour  of  the  22nd  instant,  con- 


CHAP,  in.]  Second  Comet  discovered.  81 

taining  an  account  of  your  discovery  of   a  second  comet 
on  the  21st,  and  recommending  it  to  my  attention. 

I  received  it  only  on  the  24th,  at  ten  in  the  morning, 
owing  to  the  slowness  of  our  penny  post. 

I  delayed  acknowledging  it  till  I  could  inform  you  at  the 
same  time  I  had  seen  it.     The  frost,  unfortunately  for  us 
astronomers,  broke  up  the  very  same  morning  that  your 
letter  arrived,  in  consequence  of  which  the  weather  has  been 
so  bad  that  I  could  not  get  a  sight  of  your  comet  till  last 
night,  the  26th,  when,  at  6'1  34',  it  followed  a  Lyrse  in  the 
A.  K.,  3'  1"  of  time,  and  was  2°  30'  S.  of  it.     This  only  by 
the  divisions  of  the  equatorial  and  meridian  circles,  but  true 
to  a  minute  or  two  of  declination  and  five  seconds  of  time. 
I  compared  it  more  accurately  with  a  small  telescopic  star 
nearer  it,  which,  when  settled  hereafter,  will  determine  its 
place  within  30"  of  a  degree.     Hence  its  A.  E.  was  about 
18h  33'  55",  and  distance  from  the  North  Pole  53°  59'.     By 
your  observation  of  December  22nd,  5h  31'  in  the  morning, 
its  A.  E.  was  18h  35'  12",  and  P.  D.  56°  56'.     Hence  it  has 
moved  retrograde  in  A.  E.  about  the  rate  of  17'  of  time  per 
day,  and  30'  per  day  northward  in  decimation,  which  agrees 
nearly  with  your  observation  of  its  approach  towards  8  Lyree. 
Its  motion  is  fortunately  favourable  for  our  keeping  sight  of 
it  for  some  time,  which  may  be  very  useful,  especially  if  it 
should  be  moving  from  us,  which  there  is  an  equal  chance 
for,   as  the  contrary.     It  appeared  to  me  very  faint,  and 
rather  small,  but  the  air  was  hazy.     By  its  faintness  and 
slow  motion,  it  is  probably  at  a  considerable  distance  from 
the  earth.      Time  will  explain  these  things.     Let  us  hope 
the  best,  and  that  it  is  approaching  the  earth  to  please  and 
instruct  us,  and  not   to  destroy  us,  for  true   astronomers 
have  no  fears  of  that  kind.     Witness  Sir  Harry  Englefield's 
valuable  tables  of  the  apparent  places  of  the  Comet  of  1661, 
expected  to  return  at  this  time,  with  a  delineation  of  its 


82  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [uss. 

orbit,  who,  in  page  7,  speaks  of  the  possibility  of  seeing 
a  curious  and  beautiful  transit  of  it  over  the  sun's  disk, 
should  the  earth  and  comet  be  in  the  line  of  the  nodes  at 
the  same  time,  without  horror  at  the  thought  of  our  being 
involved  in  its  immense  tail.  I  would  not  affirm  that  there 
may  not  exist  some  astronomers  so  enthusiastic  that  they 
would  not  dislike  to  be  whisked  away  from  this  low  terres- 
trial spot  into  the  higher  regions  of  the  heavens  by  the  tail 
of  a  comet,  and  exchange  our  narrow  uniform  orbit  for  one 
vastly  more  extended  and  varied.  But  I  hope  you,  dear 
Miss  Caroline,  for  the  benefit  of  terrestrial  astronomy,  will 
not  think  of  taking  such  a  flight,  at  least  till  your  friends  are 
ready  to  accompany  you.  Mrs.  Maskelyne  joins  me  in  best 
compliments  to  yourself  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Herschel.  If 
your  observation  was  precise  as  to  the  difference  of  A.E.  of 
the  comet  and  /3  Lyra3,  it  may  be  of  use  for  determining  the 
orbit,  especially  if  the  comet  should  be  going  off  from  us. 
I  have  not  yet  examined  whether  it  can  be  the  French 
comet  discovered  by  M.  Messier,  on  the  26th  of  last  month, 
which  was  going  from  the  earth.  Its  apparent  motion  must 
have  turned  at  right  angles  to  its  former  one,  which  is  pos- 
sible, but  not  very  probable.  I  could  not  see  your  comet 
with  the  night  glass,  nor  would  its  faintness  allow  of  illu- 
minating the  wires. 

I  remain,  dear  Miss  Caroline, 
Your  obedient  and  obliged  humble  servant, 

N.  MASKELYNE. 

DR.  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  H.   ENGLEFIELD. 

December  22,  1788. 

Sm,— 

Your  intelligence  of  the  comet  I  received,  but  011 
account  of  the  long  time  elapsed  since  the  2nd  and  3rd  of 
this  month  we  have  not  been  able  to  recover  the  fugitive. 


CHAP,  in.]  Second  Comet  discovered.  83 

Last  night,  however,  my  sister  discovered  a  comet  near 
13  Lyrse,  which  you  will  find  no  difficulty  to  follow  as  its 
motion  is  very  slow,  and  the  comet  a  pretty  visible  object. 
We  saw  it  again  this  morning,  and  it  seems  to  go  towards 
8  Lyrse,  you  will  see  it  pass  by  /3  Lyrse.  It  is  a  much  larger 
object  than  the  nebula  near  /3  Lyrse,  discovered  by  Mr. 
Darquier,  of  Toulouse  (Connoissance  des  Temps,  75). 

SIR  H.    ENGLEFIELD    TO  DR.    HERSCHEL. 

PETERSHAM,  December  25,  1788. 
DEAR  SIR, — 

I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  j'our  account  of  the 
comet,  and  beg  you  to  make  my  compliments  to  Miss 
Herschel  on  her  discovery.  She  will  soon  be  the  great 
comet  finder,  and  bear  away  the  prize  from  Messier  and 
Mechain. 

The  weather  yesternight  was  bad,  and  to-night  I  have 
looked  for  it,  in  the  moments  of  fine  weather,  with  a  good 
night-glass,  but  am  not  sure  that  I  saw  it,  though  I  thought 
I  perceived  it  about  half-way  between  /3  and  8  Lyrse.  The 
glass  I  used  showed  D'Arquier's  nebula,  though  but  faintly. 
Before  I  could  get  any  other  telescope  ready,  the  weather 
clouded.  If  you  have  seen  it  again,  pray  be  so  good  as  to 
give  me  its  place  when  you  saw  it  last,  and  with  what  power 
and  light  it  may  be  seen.  I  was  going  to  write  to  Messier 
about  his  comet,  but  have  deferred  it,  as  I  would  not  mention 
yours  without  your  leave,  and  could  not  find  it  in  my  heart 
to  write  without  doing  it. 

Believe  me,  dear  Sir, 

With  all  the  wishes  of  the  season, 
Your  much  obliged  and  faithful 

H.  C.  ENGLEFIELD. 


G  2 


84  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscJul.        [1788-1790. 

DR.  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.    BANKS. 

SIR,— 

The  last  time  I  was  in  town,  you  expressed  a  wish  to 
see  my  observations  on  the  comet  which  niy  sister,  Caroline 
Herschel,  discovered  in  the  evening  of  the  21st  of  last 
December,  not  far  from  /3  Lyrse. 

As  she  immediately  acquainted  the  Eeverend  Dr.  Mas- 
kelyne  and  several  other  gentlemen  with  her  discovery,  the 
comet  was  observed  by  many  of  them.  The  Astronomer 
Royal  in  particular  having,  I  find,  obtained  a  very  good  set 
of  valuable  observations  on  its  path,  it  will  be  sufficient  if  I 
communicate  only  those  particulars  which  relate  to  its  first 
appearance,  and  a  few  other  circumstances  that  may  perhaps 
deserve  to  be  noticed. 

Dec.  21s£,  1788. — About  8  o'clock  I  viewed  the  comet 
which  my  sister  had  a  little  while  before  pointed  out 
to  me  with  her  small  Newtonian  sweeper.  In  my  instru- 
ment, which  was  a  ten-foot  reflector,  it  had  the  appearance 
of  a  considerably  bright  nebula,  of  an  irregular  round  form, 
very  gradually  brighter  in  the  middle,  and  about  five  or  six 
minutes  in  diameter.  The  situation  was  low,  and  not  very 
proper  for  instruments  with  high  powers. 

Dec.  22nd. — About  half-after  5  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing I  viewed  it  again,  and  perceived  that  it  had  moved 
apparently  in  a  direction  towards  8  Lyrse,  or  thereabout.  I 
had  been  engaged  all  night  with  the  twenty-foot  instrument, 
so  that  there  had  been  no  leisure  to  prepare  my  apparatus  for 
taking  the  place  of  the  comet ;  but  in  the  evening  of  the 
same  day  I  took  its  situation  three  times 

In  every  observation  I  found  the  small  star  which  accom- 
panies ft  Lyrse  exactly  in  the  parallel  of  the  cornet. 

These  transits  were  taken  with  a  ten-foot  reflector,  and 
the  difference  in  right  ascension,  I  should  suppose,  may  be 
depended  upon  to  within  a  second  of  time.  The  deterrni- 


CHAP,  in.]  The   Third  Comet  seen.  8  5 

nation  also  of  the  parallel  can  hardly  err  so  much  as  15 
seconds  of  a  degree. 

This,  and  several  evenings  afterwards,  I  viewed  the  comet 
again  with  such  powers  as  its  diluted  light  would  permit, 
but  could  not  perceive  any  sort  of  nucleus  which,  had  it 
been  a  single  second  in  diameter,  I  think,  could  not  well 
have  escaped  me.  This  circumstance  seems  to  be  of  some 
consequence  to  those  who  turn  their  thoughts  on  the  inves- 
tigation of  the  nature  of  comets,  especially  as  I  have  also 
formerly  made  the  same  remark  on  one  of  the  comets  dis- 
covered by  Mr.  Mechain  in  1787,  a  former  one  of  my  sister's 
in  1786,  and  one  of  Mr.  Pigott's  in  1783,  in  neither  of 
which  any  denned,  solid  nucleus,  could  be  perceived. 
I  have  the  honour  to  remain, 
Sir,  &c., 

WM.  HERSCHEL. 
SLOUGH,  NEAR  WINDSOR, 

March  3,  1789. 

The  third  comet  was  discovered  on  the  7th  January, 
1790  ;  the  fourth  on  the  17th  April  of  the  same  year, 
during  her  brother's  absence  from  home.  It  was 
announced  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks  in  the  following 
letter :— * 

April  19th,  1790. 

SIR,— 

I  am  very  unwilling  to  trouble  you  with  incomplete 
observations,  and  for  that  reason  did  not  acquaint  you 
yesterday  with  the  discovery  of  a  comet.  I  wrote  an 
account  of  it  to  Dr.  Maskelyne  and  Mr.  Aubert,  in  hopes 
that  either  of  those  gentlemen,  or  my  brother,  whom  I 
expect  every  day  to  return,  would  have  furnished  me  with 
the  means  of  pointing  it  out  in  a  proper  manner. 

But  as  perhaps  several  days  might  pass  before  I  could 


86  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1790. 

have  any  answer  to  my  letters,  or  my  brother  return,  I 
would  not  wish  to  be  thought  neglectful,  and  therefore  if 
you  think,  sir,  the  following  description  is  sufficient,  and 
that  more  of  my  brother's  astronomical  friends  should  be 
made  acquainted  with  it,  I  should  be  very  happy  if  you 
would  be  so  kind  as  to  do  it  for  the  sake  of  astronomy. 

The  comet  is  a  little  more  than  3|°  following  a  Andro- 
inedae,  and  about  \\°  above  the  parallel  of  that  star.  I  saw 
it  first  on  April  17th,  I6h  24'  sidereal  time,  and  the  first 
view  I  could  have  of  it  last  night  was  16h  5'.  As  far  as  I 
am  able  to  judge,  it  has  decreased  in  P.  D.  nearly  1°,  and 
increased  in  A.  K.  something  above  1'. 

These  are  only  estimations  from  the  field  of  view,  and  I 
only  mention  it  to  show  that  its  motion  is  not  so  very  rapid. 

I  am,  &c., 

C.  H. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  ALEX.  AUBERT,   ESQ. 

SLOUGH,  April  18,  1790. 

DEAR  SIR, — 

I  am  almost  ashamed  to  write  to  you,  because  I 
never  think  of  doing  so  but  when  I  am  in  distress.  I  found 
last  night,  at  16h  24'  sidereal  time,  a  comet,  and  do  not 
know  what  to  do  with  it,  for  my  new  sweeper  is  not  half 
finished ;  and  besides,  I  broke  the  handle  of  the  perpendi- 
cular motion  in  my  brother's  absence  (who  is  on  a  little 
tour  into  Yorkshire).  He  has  furnished  me  to  that  instru- 
ment a  Rumboides,  but  the  wires  are  too  thin,  and  I  have 
no  contrivance  for  illuminating  them.  All  my  hopes  were 
that  I  should  not  find  anything  which  would  make  me  feel 
the  want  of  these  things  in  his  absence ;  but,  as  it  happens, 
here  is  an  object  in  a  place  where  there  is  no  nebula,  or 
anything  which  could  look  like  a  comet,  and  I  would  be 
much  obliged  to  you,  sir,  if  you  would  look  at  the  place 


CHAP,  in.]     Letters  about  the   Third  Comet.  87 

where  the  annexed  eye-draft  will  direct  you  to.  My  brother 
has  swept  that  part  of  the  heavens,  and  has  many  iiebulse 
there,  but  none  which  I  must  expect  to  see  with  my  instru- 
ment. I  will  not  write  to  Sir  J.  Banks  or  Dr.  Maskelyne,  or 
anybody,  till  you,  sir,  have  seen  it ;  but  if  you  could,  without 
much  trouble,  give  my  best  respects  and  that  part  of  this 
letter  which  points  out  the  place  of  the  comet  to  Mr. 
Wollaston,  you  would  make  me  very  happy. 

I  am,  dear  sir,  &c.,  &c., 

C.  H. 

SIR  JOSEPH  BANKS  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

SOHO  SQUARE,  April  20,  1790. 
MADAM, — 

I  return  you  many  thanks  for  the  communication 
you  were  so  good  as  to  make  to  me  this  day  of  your  dis- 
covery of  a  comet.  I  shall  take  care  to  make  our  astrono- 
mical friends  acquainted  with  the  obligations  they  are  under 
to  your  diligence. 

I  am  always  happy  to  hear  from  you,  but  never  more  so 
than  when  you  give  me  an  opportunity  of  expressing  my 
obligations  to  }rou  for  advancing  the  science  you  cultivate 
with  so  much  success. 

Dear  Madam, 

Your  faithful  servant, 

J.  BANKS. 

ALEX.   AUBERT,   ESQ.   TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

LONDON,  the  2,1st  April,  Wednesday,  1790. 
DEAR  Miss  HERSCHEL, — 

I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  kind  letter.  The 
night  before  last  was  cloudy.  Last  night,  or  rather  this 
morning,  about  half-past  two,  I  got  up  to  look  for  the 


88  Caroline  Liicretia,  Herschel.  [1790. 

phenomenon ;  it  was  somewhat  hazy.  I  observed  with  a 
common  night-glass  of  Dollond's  a  faint  something  in  a  line 
between  a  and  TT  Andromedse,  much  like  a  faint  star ;  it  had 
no  coma  nor  fuzzy  appearance.  By  looking  at  Flamsteed's 
Atlas  I  find  no  small  star  there.  I  was  preparing  to  attack 
it  with  a  good  magnifying  power,  and  to  get  its  place  with 
my  Smeaton's  equatorial  micrometer,  but  when  I  was  ready 
a  haze  came  on,  and  soon  after  too  much  daylight,  so  I  can 
say  no  more  to  it  as  yet.  If  I  saw  what  you  judged  a  comet, 
it  must  have  moved  but  little  since  you  saw  it ;  it  was  as 
large  as  a  star  of  7th  magnitude,  but  rather  faint.  I  sent 
this  morning  to  Dr.  Maskelyne  :  he  says  he  could  see 
nothing  with  a  good  night  glass,  but  will  try  again  the  next 
fair  morning,  and  after  trying  he  will  answer  you ;  in  the 
meanwhile  he  begs  his  best  compliments.  I  will  also  try 
again.  Pray  let  me  know  if  you  think  it  was  the  comet  I 
saw.  I  have  mentioned  it  to  no  one  but  to  Mr.  "Wollaston, 
who  thanks  you  sincerely,  but  did  not  find  himself  well 
enough  to  observe ;  he  lives  in  Charter  House  Square ; 
direct  upon  occasion  there  to  the  Rev.  Francis  Wollaston. 

You  cannot,  my  dear  Miss  Herschel,  judge  of  the 
pleasure  I  feel  when  your  reputation  and  fame  increase ; 
everyone  must  admire  your  and  your  brother's  knowledge, 
industry,  and  behaviour.  God  grant  you  many  years  health 
and  happiness.  I  will  soon  pay  you  a  visit,  as  soon  as  your 
brother  returns.  If  I  have  any  instrument  you  wish  to  use, 
it  is  at  your  service. 

Believe  me,  &c.,  &c., 

ALEXANDER  AUBEET. 


CHAI>.  in.]        Letters  from  Astronomers.  89 

KEY.   DR.  MASKELYNE  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

GREENWICH,  April  22, 1790. 
DEAR  Miss  HERSCHEL, — 


*  *  If  I  misunderstand  anything  I  shall  be  obliged 
to  you  for  an  explanation.  The  weather  has  not  permitted 
me  to  see  anything  of  the  comet  yet,  but  it  seems  now 
mending,  and  I  hope  to  be  able  to  make  something  of  it  to- 
morrow morning.  Your  second  communication,  at  the  same 
time  that  it  gives  me  fresh  spirits  as  to  the  certainty  of  its 
being  a  comet,  will  certainly  assist  me  in  more  readily 
finding  it.  I  feared  that  your  using  your  new  telescope 
might  make  that  a  bright  comet  to  you  which  might  prove 
but  a  very  faint  one,  if  at  all  visible,  in  a  common  night- 
glass,  which  is  what  we  first  use  to  discover  a  comet  with. 
As  soon  as  I  shall  have  seen  it  I  will  send  you  a  line.  I 
sent  intelligence  of  your  discovery  to  M.  Mechain,  at  Paris, 
last  Tuesday,  and  will  send  to  him  your  farther  communica- 
tion next  Friday.  Mr.  Maskelyne  joins  me  in  best  compli- 
ments to  yourself  and  Mrs.  Herschel,  and  Dr.  Herschel  on 
his  return.  Dr.  Shepherd  sent  advice  of  it  from  me  last  Tues- 
day to  the  Master  of  Trinity,  at  Cambridge,  who  perhaps 
may  convey  the  agreeable  intelligence  to  your  brother. 
I  remain,  dear  Miss  Herschel, 
My  worthy  sister  in  astronomy, 

Your  faithful  and  obliged  humble  servant, 

N.  MASKELYNE. 

J.    DE  LA  LANDE  TO   CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 

RUE  COLLEGE  ROYAL,  le  12  Juillet,  1790. 

MA  CHERE  ET  S'AVANTE  COMMERE, — 

J'ai  recu  avec  la  plus  delicieuse  satisfaction  la  premiere 


90  Caroline  Lucretia  Hcrsckel. 

lettre  clont  vous  m'avez  honore ;  je  ne  pouvois  attribuer  votre 
silence  a  une  timiclite  que  votre  reputation  condamne,  mais 
je  1'aurais  attribue'  a  mon  pen  de  merite  si  vous  aviez 
continue  de  me  refuser  une  reponse.  Vous  ecrivez  si  bien 
que  vous  ne  pouvez  pas  avoir  a  cet  egard  une  excuse 
legitiine. 

Vous  verrez  bientot  M.  Ungeschick  qui  a  baptise  votre 
filleule  Caroline,  dites  lui  qu'elle  se  porte  beaucoup  mieux 
ainsi  que  le  petite  Isaac  (je  1'ai  ainsi  nomme  en  memoire 
d'Isaac  Newton),  pour  sa  sceur  je  ne  pouvois  lui  dormer  un 
noin  plus  illustre  que  le  votre ;  c'est  ce  que  j'ai  fait 
remarquer  en  annongant  sa  naissance  dans  notre  Moniteur 
ou  Gazette  Nationale  du  31  Janvier,  je  ne  pouvois  vous 
donner  un  compere  d'un  plus  grand  merite  que  M. 
Delambre.  II  fait  actuellement  des  tables  des  Satellites  de 
Jupiter  qui  surpassent  de  beaucoup  celles  de  M.  Wargentin. 

Votre  commere  ma  niece  calcule  des  tables  pour  trouver 
1'heure  en  mer  par  la  hauteur  du  soleil.  Mde.  du  Piery 
calcule  des  observations  d'eclipses.  Pour  moi,  je  suis 
occupe  des  etoiles,  j'en  ai  deja  6,000 ;  votre  compere  Le- 
Fran9ais*  y  met  beaucoup  de  soin.  Nous  tachons  tous  de 
seconder  vos  heureux  travaux  et  ceux  de  votre  illustre  frere ; 
nous  vous  prions  tous  de  recevoir  vous  nieme  et  de  lui 
presenter  nos  respects. 

Remerciez   le   bien   de   la    complaisance    qu'il  a  eu  de 
m'envoyer  la  rotation  de  1'anneau  dont  j'etois  bien  curieux. 
Je  suis  autant  d'attachement  que  de  respect,  Savante  Miss, 
Votre  tres  humble  et  tres 

obeissant  serviteur, 

DE  LA  LAXDE. 

Plusieurs   de  mes   etoiles   out  servi  a  comparer  votre 

*  M.  De  la  Lande's  name  was  Jerome  Le  Francais  dit  de  la  Lande;  it  is  to 
himself,  therefore,  that  he  here  refers.  The  letter  is  addressed  "Mile.  Caroline 
Herschel,  Astronome  Celebre,  Slough." 


CHAP,  in.]  Letters.  91 

comete  qui  a  disparu  le  30  juin,  mais  que  M.  Messier  et 
M.  Mechain  ont  suivis  sans  interruption,  jusques  dans  le 
crepuscule. 

Je  vous  prie  de  demander  les  bontes  de  votre  digne  frere 
pour  M.  Ungeschick,  qui  est  un  astronome  de  merite,  et  qui 
a  bien  du  zele,  mais  en  vous  voyant  le  zele  augmentera. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  M.  DE  LA  LANDE. 

SLOUGH,  Sept.  I2tk,  1790. 

DEAR  SIR, — 

Our  good  friend,  General  Komavzewski,  will  persuade 
me  to  believe  that  I  am  capable  of  giving  you  pleasure  by 
writing  a  few  lines  ;  but  I  am  under  an  apprehension  that 
he  is  overrating  my  abilities.  You,  my  dear  sir,  certainly 
overrated  them  when  you  thought  me  deserving  of  express- 
ing your  esteem  for  me  in  so  public  a  manner  as  the  General 
and  Mr.  Ungeshick  have  informed  me  of. 

I  do  not  only  owe  you  my  sincerest  thanks  for  your  good 
opinion  of  me,  but  my  utmost  endeavours  shall  be  to  make 
myself  worthy  of  it  if  possible.  My  good  brother  has  not 
been  emissive  in  furnishing  me  with  the  means  of  becoming 
so  in  some  respects.  An  excellent  Newtonian  sweeper,  of 
five-feet  focal  length,  is  nearly  completed,  which,  being 
mounted  at  the  top  of  the  house,  will  always  be  in  readi- 
ness for  observing  whenever  my  attendance  on  the  forty  or 
twenty-foot  telescopes  is  not  required. 

I  hope  the  little  god-daughter  is  in  good  health,  and  wish 
she  may  grow  and  give  happiness  and  pleasure  to  her  parents 
and  uncle. 

I  beg  to  present  many  respectful  compliments  to  the 
ingenious  ladies  you  mentioned  in  your  letter. 

Mrs.  Herschel  desires  to  be  remembered  to  you,  sir.  We 
do  not  give  up  the  hopes  of  seeing  you  again  at  Slough, 


92  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.        [1791-1795. 

and   are    wishing   it   may   not  be    long  before   you   visit 
England  again. 

I  remain,  dear  sir, 

With  greatest  esteem,  &c.,  &c., 
C.  HERSCHEL. 

Another  foreign  correspondent  was  inspired  to  soar 
above  the  ordinary  level  of  scientific  communications, 
and  addressed  Miss  Herschel  in  a  strain  of  high-flown 
adulation,  of  which  the  following  is  a  translation : — 

GOTTINGEN,  May  10,  [about  1793.] 

Permit  me,  most  revered  lady,  to  bring  to  your  remem- 
brance a  man  who  has  held  you  in  the  highest  esteem  ever 
since  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  enter  the  Temple  of 
Urania,  at  Slough,  and  to  pay  his  respects  to  its  priestess. 
I  still  recall  the  happy  hours  passed  in  England  in  earlier 
days  of  sweet  remembrance,  and  above  all,  those  which  I 
was  privileged  to  spend  near  you  in  a  society  as  genial  as  it 
was  intellectual. 

Give  me  leave,  noble  and  worthy  priestess  of  the  new 
heavens,  to  lay  at  your  feet  my  small  offering  on  eclipses  of 
the  sun,  and  at  the  same  time  to  express  my  gratitude  and 
deepest  reverence.  The  bearer  is  a  young  Mr.  Johnston, 
who  has  been  studying  here,  and  is  now  returning  to 
England.  He  is  a  young  man  of  excellent  character,  and 
possessed  of  unusual  capacity  and  attainments. 

May  I  venture  to  ask,  most  honoured  Miss,  that  when 
you  or  your  brother  make  any  discovery,  you  will  grant 
me  early  notice  of  it,  as  you  once  had  the  kindness  to 
promise  to  do.  You  can  hardly  fail  to  make  them  at 
Slough,  where  every  day  is  rich  in  discovery,  especially 
when  one  of  your  own  subjects — the  comets — comes  to  offer 
its  homage. 


CHAP,  in.]        Two  more  Comets  discovered.  93 

How  happy  should  I  esteem  myself  if  there  were  any 
service  I  could  render  you  here,  most  admirable  lady  astro- 
nomer, that  I  might  be  permitted  to  prove  how  entirely  my 
heart  is  devoted  to  you. 

PROF.  SEYFFER. 

The  fifth  comet  was  discovered  December  15th, 
1791,  and  a  simple  record  of  the  fact  is  all  that  the 
packet  devoted  to  it  contains,  with  the  information, 
"  My  brother  wrote  an  account  of  it  to  Sir  J.  Banks, 
Dr.  Maskelyne,  and  to  several  astronomical  corre- 
spondents." The  discovery  of  the  sixth  is  treated 
with  equal  brevity.  "  Oct.  7,  at  8h.  mean  time.  I 
discovered  a  comet,  my  brother  settled  its  place  on 
the  8th,  and  I  wrote  to  Sir  J.  Banks,  Dr.  Maskelyne, 
and  to  Mr.  Planta.  The  letter  to  Mr.  Planta  is  printed 
in  the  Philosophical  Transactions." 

None  of  the  correspondence  in  connection  with  the 
seventh  has  been  preserved,  excepting  her  own  letter 
announcing  its  discovery  to  Sir  J.  Banks. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  JOSEPH  BANKS. 

SLOUGH,  Nov.  8,  1795. 

SIR,— 

Last  night,  in  sweeping  over  a  part  of  the  heavens 
with  my  five-foot  reflector,  I  met  with  a  telescopic  comet. 
To  point  out  its  situation  I  transcribe^my  brother's  observa- 
tions of  it  from  his  journal. 

***** 

***** 
It  will  probably  pass  between  the  head  of  the  Swan  and 


94  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL        [1795-1797. 

the  constellation   of  the  Lyre,  in  its  descent  towards  the 

sun.     The  direction  of  its  motion  is  retrograde.* 

***** 

***** 

As  the  appearance  of  one  of  these  objects  is  almost  be- 
come a  novelty,  I  flatter  myself  that  this  intelligence  will 
not  be  uninteresting  to  astronomers,  and  therefore  hope, 
sir,  you  will,  with  your  usual  kindness,  recommend  it  to 
their  notice. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

With  great  respect,  &c.,  &c., 

CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 

Two  years  later  the  eighth  and  last  comet  was 
discovered,  on  the  6th  of  August,  1797.  It  was  the 
occasion  of  the  following  letter  :  — 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  JOSEPH  BANKS. 

August,  17,  1797. 

SIR,— 

This  is  not  a  letter  from  an  astronomer  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Koyal  Society  announcing  a  comet,  but  only  a 
few  lines  from  Caroline  Herschel  to  a  friend  of  her  brother's, 
by  way  of  apology  for  not  sending  intelligence  of  that  kind 
immediately  where  they  are  due. 

I  have  so  little  faith  in  the  expedition  of  messengers  of  all 
descriptions  that  I  undertook  to  be  my  own,  with  an  inten- 
tion of  stopping  in  town  and  write  and  deliver  a  letter 

*  This  comet,  since  known  as  Encke's,  in  consequence  of  that  great  astro- 
nomer having  determined  its  periodicity  in  1819  and  predicted  its  triennial 
return,  was  discovered,  independently,  four  several  times  before  its  identity 
was  recognized,  Miss  Herschel's  observation  of  it  in  1795  being  the  second  in 
order  of  time.  Additional  interest  has  since  attached  to  it,  in  consequence  of 
its  gradually  diminishing  period  and  the  views  hence  suggested  on  the 
economy  of  the  solar  system. 


CHAP,  in.]   Ceases  to  reside  with  her  Brother.  95 

myself,  but  unfortunately  I  undertook  the  task  with  only  the 
preparation  of  one  hour's  sleep,  and  having  in  the  course  of 
five  years  never  rode  above  two  miles  at  a  time,  the  twenty  to 
London,  and  the  idea  of  six  or  seven  more  to  Greenwich  in 
reserve,  totally  unfitted  me  for  any  action.  Dr.  Maskelyne 
was  so  kind  as  to  take  some  pains  to  persuade  me  to  go  this 
morning  to  pay  my  respects  to  Sir  Joseph,  but  I  thought 
a  woman  who  knows  so  little  of  the  world  ought  not  to  aim 
at  such  an  honour,  but  go  home,  where  she  ought  to  be, 
as  soon  as  possible. 

The  letter  which  you  sent,  sir,  to  my  brother,  was  the  onl}- 
one  received  at  Slough  in  my  absence;  it  arrived  towards 
noon  on  the  16th,  and  was  brought  by  a  porter  from  an  inn. 

I  hope  you  will  excuse  the  trouble  I  give  by  sending  this, 
though  I  know  it  is  entirely  useless,  because  Dr.  Maskelyne 
had  probably  my  memorandum  which  I  took  to  Greenwich 
with  him  when  he  called  in  Soho  Square,  and  therefore  I  can 
say  nothing  but  what  you,  sir,  are  acquainted  with  already ; 
but  I  shall  be  a  little  more  comfortable  when  I  can  say  to 
my  brother  I  have  written  to  Sir  J.  Banks  concerning  the 
comet. 

With  the  utmost  respect, 
I  remain,  sir, 

Your  most  obedient  servant, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

We  are  now  reduced  to  the  short  diary-like  entries 
in  a  small  book  entitled  "  Extracts  from  a  Day-Bool: 
kept  during  the  years  1797  and  1821,"  which  begins : 
"1797,  in  October  I  went  to  lodge  and  board  with 
one  of  my  brother's  workmen  (Sprat),  whose  wife  was 
to  attend  on  me.  My  telescopes  on  the  roof,  to  which 


96  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1797-1798. 

I  was  to  have  occasional  access,  as  also  to  the 
room  with  the  sweeping  and  observing  apparatus, 
remained  in  its  former  order,  where  I  most  days  spent 
some  hours  in  preparing  work  to  go  on  with  at  my 
lodging."  A  chance  memorandum  shows  how  the 
leisure  time  was  employed ;  thus — "  At  the  ending  of 
1787,  or  beginning  of  1788,  began  to  make  use  of 
some  of  the  proof-sheets  of  Wollaston's  Catalogue  along 
with  Flamsteed's ; "  and  again,  "  December  24th,  1797, 
received  notice  for  printing  the  Index,  which  was  not 
at  all  adapted  for  that  purpose ;  but  March  8th,  1798, 
the  copy  was  completed,  and  taken  to  the  Eoyal 
Society,  and  in  the  course  of  the  summer  the  print 
was  corrected."  The  following  letter  to  the  Astrono- 
mer Royal  bears  on  this  subject : — 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  KEV.   DE.  MASKELYNE. 

SLOUGH,  Sept.  1798. 
DEAR  SIR, — 

I  have  for  a  long  while  past  felt  a  desire  of  express- 
ing my  thanks  to  you  for  having  interested  yourself  so  kindly 
for  the  little  production  of  my  industry  by  being  the  pro- 
moter of  the  printing  of  the  Index  to  Flamsteed's  Observa- 
tions. I  thought  the  pains  it  had  cost  me  were,  and  would 
be,  sufficiently  rewarded  in  the  use  it  had  already  been,  and 
might  be  in  future,  to  my  brother.  But  your  having  thought 
it  worthy  of  the  press  has  flattered  my  vanity  not  a  little. 
You  see,  sir,  I  do  own  myself  to  be  vain,  because  I  would 
not  wish  to  be  singular ;  and  was  there  ever  a  woman  with- 
out vanity  ?  or  a  man  either  ?  only  with  this  difference,  that 
among  gentlemen  the  commodity  is  generally  styled  ambition. 


CHAP,  in.]  Astronomical..  9V 

I  wish  it  were  possible  to  offer  something  which  could  be 
of  use  to  our  Royal  Astronomer  than  merely  thanks.  Per- 
haps the  enclosed  catalogue  may  be  of  some  little  service  on 
some  occasion  or  other.  I  was  obliged  to  bring  it  into  that 
form  by  way  of  scrutinizing  the  real  number  of  omitted 
stars,  and  find  it  now  very  useful  when  my  brother,  in 
sweeping,  &c.,  observes  stars  which  are  not  contained  in 
Wollaston's  Catalogue,  to  know  immediately  by  this  order 
of  R.  A.  if  they  are  in  any  of  Flamsteed's  omitted  stars,  and 
if  they  are,  what  number  they  bear  in  the  catalogue  of 
omitted  stars,  which  number  we  find  in  the  first  column. 
The  rest  of  the  columns  will  want  no  explanation,  except 
the  last,  which  would  not  be  complete,  or  even  intelligible, 
without  the  assistance  of  the  catalogue  of  omitted  stars,  and 
the  notes  to  that  catalogue,  for  they  are  short  memorandums 
collected  from  the  descriptions  in  the  catalogue,  and  from 
the  notes  to  some  of  the  stars. 

As  our  Index  contains  all  the  corrections  and  information 
which  I  possibly  could  collect,  those  corrections  and  memo- 
randums of  which  I  had  the  pleasure,  about  eighteen  months 
ago,  to  write  a  copy  for  Dr.  Maskelyne,  will  consequently 
be  laid  aside,  else  I  ought  to  take  notice  that  there  are  one 
or  two  errors  and  several  omissions  which  should  have  been 
corrected  in  that  copy,  but  with  which  it  will  now  be  needless 
to  trouble  you,  sir. 

"What  has  laid  me  under  particular  obligation  to  you,  my 
dear  sir,  was  your  timely  information,  the  August  before 
last,  of  your  having  proposed  the  printing  of  the  Index  to 
the  P.  R.  S.  The  papers  were  then  in  so  incomplete  a 
state,  that  it  needed  each  moment  which  could  possibly 
be  spared  from  other  business  to  deliver  them  with  some 
confidence  of  their  being  pretty  Correct. 

Many  times  do  I  think  with  pleasure  and  comfort  on  the 
friendly  invitations  Mrs.  Maskelyne  and  yourself  have  given. 


.98  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1798. 

me  to  spend  a  few  days  at  Greenwich.  I  hope  yet  to  have 
that  pleasure  next  spring  or  summer.  This  last  has  passed 
away,  and  I  never  thought  myself  well  or  in  spirits  enough 
to  venture  from  home.  If  the  heavens  had  befriended  me, 
and  afforded  us  a  comet,  I  might,  under  its  convoy,  perhaps 
have  ventured  at  an  emigration.  However,  I  cannot  help 
thinking  that  I  shall  meet  with  some  little  reward  for  the 
denial  it  has  been  to  me  not  coming  this  summer  in  seeing 
the  improvements  Miss  Maskelyne  has  made  (more  per- 
ceptibly) in  those  accomplishments  she  seemed  to  be  in  so> 
fair  a  way  of  attaining  when  I  was  there  last. 

With  my  best  respects  and  compliments  to  Mrs.  M., 
I  remain,  with  the  greatest  esteem, 

Your  most  obliged  and  humble  servant, 

C.  HEESCHEL. 


DIARY. 

May  29i/i  and  3(M. — "Was  mostly  spent  at  the  Observatory, 
Professor  Vince  *  being  there. 

July  30i/t. — My  brother  went  with  his  family  to  Bath  and 
Dawlish.  I  went  daily  to  the  Observatory  and  work-rooms 
to  work,  and  returned  home  to  my  meals,  and  at  night, 
except  in  fine  weather,  I  spent  some  hours  on  the  roof,  and 

.was  fetched  home  by  Sprat. 

*•*•**  * 

September  llth. — Dined  at  my  brother's.  Professor  Pictet 
and  Dr.  Ingenhouse,  &c.,  were  there.  Cloudy  night. 

October  7th. — Finished  the  MS.  Catalogue  of  omitted 
stars  for  Dr.  Maskelyne. 

***** 

December  31st. — Mem.  Uncommonly  harassed  in  conse- 
quence of  the  loss  of  time  necessary  for  going  backward  and 
*  The  Eev.  S.  Vince,  a  mathematician  and  natural  philosopher] 


CHAP,  in.]        Extracts  from  Day-book.  99 

forward,  and  not  having  immediate  access  to  each  book  or 
paper  at  the  moment  when  wanted. 

January  4th.  —  Spent  the  evening  at  my  brother's.  Sir 
Wm.  Watson  *  and  Mr.  Wilson  t  were  there. 

February  llth.  —  My  brother  went  to  Bath  to  make  some 
stay  there,  having  taken  a  house  on  Sion  Hill. 

February  26^.  —  Mrs.  Herschel,  Miss  Cobet,  and  the 
servants  left  Slough  for  Bath.  Eussell,  the  horse-keeper, 
and  his  wife,  were,  along  with  me,  left  in  charge  of  the 
house,  from  which  I  seldom  was  absent  at  any  other  time 
but  to  go  to  dinner  at  my  lodging  every  day  at  one  o'clock. 

March  29i/«.  —  The  Prince  of  Orange  stepped  in  to  ask 
some  questions  about  planets,  &c.| 

LordKirkwall  and  a  gentleman  came  to  see  the  instruments. 

April  1st.  —  My  brother  arrived  at  Slough,  and  on  the 
llth  he  took  a  paper  to  the  E.  S.,  which  he  brought  with 
him  for  me  to  copy  in  the  clear.  The  fine  nights  were 
spent  with  sweeping. 


*  Sir  William  Watson,  M.D.,  Knight,  F.R.S.  from  1770  to  1800,  when  he 
resigned.  He  was  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Astronomical  Society  at  its 
foundation  in  1821  under  the  Presidency  of  William  Herschel.  His  father, 
also  M.  D.  and  Knight,  was  the  eminent  botanist  and  naturalist.  He  lived 
much  at  Dawlish,  where  the  Herschel  family  frequently  went  to  stay  with 
him. 

•f  Alexander  Wilson,  M.D.,  professor  of  practical  astronomy  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Glasgow,  and  first  propounder  of  that  theory  as  to  the  cause  and 
nature  of  the  spots  on  the  sun,  which  was  afterwards  fully  corroborated  and 
worked  out  by  Sir  W.  Herschel. 

J  The  Prince's  questions  were  sometimes  of  a  very  remarkable  kind.  On 
a  previous  occasion  when  he  '  '  stept  in  "  with  a  view  to  having  them  answered, 
and  was  not  so  fortunate  as  to  find  anyone  at  home,  he  left  the  following 
memorandum:  "The  Prince  of  Orange  has  been  at  Slough  to  call  at  Mr. 
Herschel's  and  to  ask  him,  or  if  he  was  not  at  home  to  Miss  Herschel,  if  it  is 
true  that  Mr.  Herschel  has  discovered  a  new  star,  whose  light  was  not  as  that 
of  the  common  stars,  but  with  swallow  tails,  as  stars  in  embroidery.  He  has 
seen  this  reported  in  the  newspapers,  and  wishes  to  know  if  there  is  any 
foundation  to  that  report.—  Slough,  the  8th  of  August,  1798.—  W.  Prince  of 
Orange." 

u  2 


100  Caroline  Lucretia,  Herschel.  [1799. 

May  14i/i. — Was  interrupted  in  works  on  account  of  the 
Montem. 

[Montem]. — Was  visited  by  Mrs.  Owen,  the  Elds,  Linds,* 
&c.,  at  my  lodgings,  or  wherever  they  could  find  nie. 

June. — Began  re-calculating  all  the  sweeps  as  a  constant 

work  for  leisure  time. 

***** 

June  8th. — My  brother  returned.     I  drank  tea  with  him 

and  Mrs.  H.,  and  at  seven  went  home  to  my  lodgings. 

***** 

July  15th. — Agreed  for  apartments  at  Newby's,  the  tailor, 
in  Slough  (Mr.  S.  and  Mrs.  B.  speaking  well  of  them  as 

sober,  industrious  people),  I  am  to  enter  at  Michaelmas. 

***** 

August  19th. — I  went  to  Greenwich  to  meet  some  com- 
pany at  Dr.  Maskelyne's,  and  after  having  spent  a  week  at 
the  E.  Observatory,  I  went  with  Dr.,  Mrs.,  and  Miss  M.  to 
pay  a  visit  to  Sir  George  Schuckburgh,  at  Buxted  Place, 
where  I  left  the  MS.  on  the  30th,  and  arrived  at  Slough 
the  31st. 

It  was  so  very  rarely  that  Miss  Herschel  ever  slept 
from  home,  that  this  visit  was  a  memorable  event  in 
her  experience.  A  small  sheet,  written  by  Miss  Mas- 
kelyne,  headed  "Journal  from  the  19th  to  the  30th 
of  August,  1 799,"  is  preserved,  with  the  superscription : 
"  By  Miss  Maskelyne's  memorandum  only  I  found  it 
possible  to  have  any  recollection  of  the  occurrences 
during  the  eleven  days  I  had  intended  to  spend  at 
Greenwich  for  the  purpose  of  copying  the  memoran- 

*  James  Lind,  M.D.,  was  a  Scotchman,  who  devoted  a  considerable  amount 
of  his  time  to  astronomical  observations. 


CHAP,  in.]          Extracts  from  Day -book.  101 

dums  from  my  brother's  second  volume  of  Flamsteed's 
Observations  into  Dr.  Maskelyne's  volume.  But  the 
succession  of  amusements,  &c.,  &c.,  left  me  no  alter- 
native between  contenting  myself  with  one  or  two 
hours'  sleep  per  night  during  the  six  days  I  was  at 
Greenwich,  or  to  go  home  without  having  fulfilled  my 
purpose." 

The  journal  was  enclosed  in  a  letter  from  Mrs. 
Maskelyne,  which  bears  pleasant  testimony  to  the 
agreeable  impression  which  her  visitor  must  have 
made  on  the  ladies,  as  well  as  the  astronomer. 

BUXTED  PLACE,  August  30, 1799. 
DEAR  Miss  HERSCHEL, 

We  thank  you  for  your  polite  message,  are  sorry  you 
left  Buxted  at  eight  o'clock ;  hoped  you  would  have  taken 
two  dishes  of  coffee,  and  not  gone  till  half-past  eight,  for 
we  were  up  at  seven,  to  be  ready  to  accompany  you  to 
Uckfield. 

Margaret  has  sent  the  enclosed,  and  will  be  glad  to  hear 
if  it  is  what  you  meant ;  she  was  writing  it  when  you 
stopped  at  the  door,  but  did  not  venture  to  open  it  for  fear 
of  disturbing  us.  Present  our  compliments  to  Dr.  and  Mrs, 
Herschel.  Pray  let  me  know  what  sort  of  .a  journey  you 
have  had  to  your  dear  sweeper,  and  accept  our  love. 
I  am,  dear  Miss  Herschel, 

Your  humble  servant, 

S.  MASKELYNE. 

The  following  letter  has  reference  to  this  visit,  and 
is  inserted  here,  although  belonging  to  a  somewhat 
later  date : — 


102  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [1799-isoo. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  THE  REV.    DR.   MASKELYNE. 

January,  1800. 

DEAR  SIR, 

If  it  was  not  highly  necessary  to  make  you  acquainted 
with  the  safe  arrival  of  your  valuable  present  at  Slough,  I 
might  perhaps  be  a  long  while  before  I  should  think  my- 
self sufficiently  collected  to  express  the  grateful  feelings  the 
sight  of  it  occasioned  me.  My  being  pleased  at  having  two 
such  useful  and  convenient  instruments  has  but  very  little 
connection  with  my  present  ideas ;  and  if  they  had  come 
to  me  from  any  other  hands  but  those  of  the  Astronomer 
Royal,  I  should  use  them  as  occasion  required,  and  think 
myself  much  obliged  to  the  giver.  But  as  it  is,  I  cannot 
help  wishing  I  were  capable  of  doing  something  to  make  my- 
self deserving  of  all  these  kind  attentions. 

I  feel  gratified  in  particular  when  I  think  of  the  stipula- 
tion I  was  making  when  you  were  taking  measure  of  the 
distance  [apart]  of  my  eyes :  viz.,  that  if  you  in  future 
should  change  in  opinion,  and  not  think  me  worthy  of  the 
present,  not  to  bestow  it  on  me. 

Mrs.  Maskelyne's  good-natured  looks,  and  all  she  said  at 
the  time,  come  now  again  to  my  remembrance,  and  seeing 
not  only  the  binocular  (which  I  had  but  a  conditional  expec- 
tation of  receiving),  but  also  the  night-glass,  makes  me  hope 
that  during  the  time  I  had  the  honour  of  being  in  the 
company  of  such  esteemed  friends,  I  have  suffered  no  loss 
in  their  former  good  opinion  of  me,  which  was  a  circum- 
stance I  often  feared  might  have  happened  ;  for  I  have  too 
little  knowledge  of  the  rules  of  society  to  trust  much  to  my 
acquitting  myself  so  as  to  give  hope  of  having  made  any 
favourable  impressions. 

You  see,  dear  sir,  that  you  have  done  me  more  good  than 
you  were  perhaps  aware  of  :  jrou  have  not  only  enabled  me 


CHAP,  in.]  Letters.  103 

to  peep  at  the  heavens,  but  have  put  rne  into  good  humour 
with  myself. 

With    my    respectful    compliments    to   Mrs.   and  Miss 
Maskelyne, 

I  remain,  with  many  thanks,  Dear  sir, 

Your  much  obliged  and  humble  servant, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

The  following  is  from  a  friend  who  took  the  deepest 
interest  in  the  career  of  both  brother  and  sister : — 

ED.  PIGOTT,  ESQ.   TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

BATH,  ST.  JAMES'S  SQUARE, 

April  30,  1799. 

MADAM, 

It  is  with  much  satisfaction  that  I  received  through 
the  hands  of  Dr.  Herschel,  the  valuable  publication  you 
are  so  kind  as  to  send  me,  and  which  indeed  is  the  more 
welcome  as  I  have  the  volumes  of  the  "  Historia  Ccelestis," 
and  shall  most  probably  have  occasion  to  use  them.  Were 
Flamsteed  alive,  how  cordially  would  he  thank  you  for  thus 
rendering  the  labours  of  his  life  so  much  more  useful  and 
acceptable  to  posterity,  for  he  surely  little  thought  that  his 
great  work  required  to  be  elucidated  by  an  additional  folio 
volume  of  explanations,  errata,  and  indexes,  the  advantages 
of  which,  by  their  excellence  and  accuracy,  must  every  day 
be  more  and  more  acknowledged,  and  future  astronomers,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  present  times  will  doubtless  often  be 
conscious  of  the  merit  and  obligation  you  are  entitled  to. 
With  many  thanks,  I  remain, 

Dear  madam, 
Your  most  obedient 

EDWD.  PIGOTT. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Herschel,  whom  I  have  occasionally  the 


104  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.        [1799-isoo. 

pleasure  of  seeing,  though  by  no  means  so  often  as  I  could 
wish,  are  well,  and  desired  to  be  mentioned  to  3-011. 

August  31st. — At  six  in  the  evening  both  my  brothers 
arrived  from  Bath.  Alexander  gave  me  a  call. 

September  8th. — Professor  Vince,  his  lady,  and  Alexander 
came  to  see  me. 

October  18th. — My  brother  returned  from  Bath,  but  with 
a  violent  cough  and  cold,  and  was  obliged  to  go  to  Newbury 
for  change  of  air  and  meet  Mrs.  H.,  who  was  there  on  a  visit. 

November  19th. — The  bailiffs  took  possession  of  my  land- 
lord's goods,  and  I  found  my  property  was  not  safe  in  my 

new  habitation. 

*•**•**• 

December  31st. — The  king  had  been  at  the  Observatory. 


February  1st. — My  brother  went  to  Bath. 
Mem. — Miss  Baldwin  [a  niece  of  Mrs.  Herschel's]  and 
little  John*  frequently  call  on  me. 


April  28^/i. — My  brother  went  to  town  for  a  fortnight.  I 
was  at  the  Observatory  after  he  was  gone,  from  ten  till  two, 
to  select  work  for  me  to  do  at  home. 

April  29i/i. — From  ten  till  three  at  the  Observatory  to- 
make  order  in  the  books  and  MSS. 

May  1st. — Dined  with  Dr.  Lind.  Fetched  my  nephew 
from  Mrs.  Clark  and  brought  him  to  his  boarding-dame,. 
Mrs.  Howard,  at  Eton.  Worked  every  day  some  hours  at 
the  Observatory. 


*  The  only  child  of  Dr.  Herschel.  He  afterwards  became  Sir  John  Herschel. 
Miss  Herschel  was  very  proud  as  well  as  fond  of  him.  He  is  "  my  nephew." 
Dr.  Herschel  is  usually  called  "my  brother,"  in  distinction  from  all  the  rest 
of  the  family. 


CHAP,  in.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  105 

May  26^/i. — I  went  to  take  leave  of  my  nephew,  who 
entered  at  Dr.  Gretton's  School. 

*  *-  *  *  * 

June  23r<Z. — Paid  my  rent,  and  gave  notice  of  quitting  my 
apartments  at  Michaelmas. 

June  25^/i. — Began  to  pack  up  what  I  must  take  to  Bath 
with  me,  for  there  I  am  to  go  ! 

June  29i/i. — I  dined  with  Mrs.  H.  and  went  with  her  to- 
the  Terrace,  where  I  took  leave  of  my  friends  at  the  Lodge. 
Everything  was  arranged  for  my  hooks  and  furniture  to 
remain  at  my  lodging,  to  which  my  brother  was  to  keep  the 
keys.  But  on  receiving  information  they  would  be  seized 
along  with  my  landlord's  goods  by  bailiffs,  I  prepared  the 
same  night  for  their  removal,  and  all  was  safely  lodged  in  a 
garret  at  Mrs.  H.'s  by  July  2  at  night. 

July  3nZ. — I  left  Slough  by  the  nine  o'clock  Newbury 
coach,  and  remained  with  the  Miss  Whites  [at  Newbury]  till 
next  morning. 

July  4th. — At  six  in  the  evening  I  was  received  at  Batli 
by  my  brother  Alex,  and  his  old  housekeeper  in  a  house  Mrs. 
H.  had  taken  for  the  next  winter  in  Little  Stanhope  Street. 
The  house  had  been  uninhabited,  and  the  furniture  moved 
into  it  from  the  house  on  Sion  Hill  by  strangers,  labourers ; 
the  things  met  me  helter-skelter  in  the  passage,  some 
belonging  to  the  drawing-room  amongst  curiy-combs  and 
bridles  and  other  stable  utensils.  My  first  care  was  to  make 
an  inventory  of  the  whole,  before  I  let  a  stranger  come  inta 
the  house,  but  by  the  10th  of  July  I  hired  a  maid  of  all 
work  to  assist  me  to  bring  the  house  into  habitable  ordeiv 
and  by  July  29th  I  was  ready  for  resuming  the  work  of  re* 
calculating  sweeps,  or  despatching  some  copying,  &c.,  which 
was  sent  me  by  the  coach  from  Slough,  and  from  the 
printer  in  London,  my  brother  being  with  his  family  at 
Tunbridge  Wells. 


106  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [isoo. 

Sept.  Wth. — I  received  a  box  from  Slough.  My  brother 
-was  come  home,  and  Alex,  went  to  assist  in  re-polishing  the 
forty-foot  mirror,  and  left  Bath  Sept.  15  ;  he  returned 

Oct.  2nd. — Some  of  my  time  during  his  absence  I  spent  at 
his  house  on  Margaret's  Hill  to  clean  and  repair  his  furni- 
ture, and  making  his  habitation  comfortable  against  his  return. 

Oct.  29th. — I  received  notice  that  in  about  a  fortnight  I 
should  be  wanted  at  Slough. 

FROM  DR.  HERSCHEL  IN  LONDON  TO  CAROLINE  HERSCHEL 
AT    BATH. 

LONDON,  JYbir.  7, 1800. 
DEAR  SISTER, — 

Last  night  my  paper  on  which  I  have  been  so  long  at 
work  was  read  at  the  society.  I  came  to  London  to  bring 
it,  and  have  been  so  hurried  as  not  to  be  able  to  look  out 
any  work  for  you,  but  shall  now  be  at  liberty  to  do  some- 
thing of  that  kind.  My  things  here  are  in  considerable  dis- 
order, and  in  a  short  time  Mrs.  Herschel  and  nryself  wish  to 
«ome  for  a  little  time  to  Bath,  then  we  will  let  you  know  if 
it's  soon,  that  you  may  come  here  on  a  visit  before  we  go, 
that  I  may  point  out  to  you  the  work  that  is  most  necessary 
to  be  done  in  our  short  absence.  I  thought  it  best  to  give 
you  this  early  notice,  because,  though  we  have  not  fixed  upon 
the  time,  it  will  be  towards  the  latter  end  of  this  month  that 
we  mean  to  come  for  perhaps  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks, 
according  to  the  weather ;  for,  if  that  should  be  fine  we  shall 
return,  that  I  may  have  a  few  sweeps  before  you  go  back  to 
Bath.  Miss  Baldwin  is  at  Slough,  and  stays  while  we  are 
awa}r,  so  that  you  will  have  company,  and  the  chaise  will 
also  be  left,  so  that  you  can  pay  visits  at  Windsor,  and  show 
yourself  to  all  your  friends  and  ours. 

My  last  paper  consisted  of  eighty  pages,  so  that  you  will 
have  a  piece  of  work  to  gather  it  together  out  of  the  scraps 
I  leave.  Some  part  of  it  was  brought  together  in  the 


CUAP.  in.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  107 

beginning  by  Miss  Baldwin  and  Mrs.  Hersckel  which  will 
show  the  order,  but  the  rest  remains  in  bits,  which  I  have 

gathered  together  and  numbered 

Remember  me  to  our  good  brother  Alexander,  and,  with 
compliments  from  Mrs.  Herschel, 

I  remain,  dear  sister, 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

WM.  HERSCHEL. 

P.S. — The  bacon  and  cheese  are  very  excellent.  I  have 
not  had  time  to  try  Alexander's  green  lenses;  they  look 
beautiful. 

Nov.  14th. — I  left  Bath,  slept  the  night  at  the  inn  at  New- 
buiy,  and  left  there  between  three  and  four. 

Nov.  15th. — I  arrived  at  my  brother's  house,  and  as  soon 
as  I  had  dined  began  to  calculate  and  copy  a  paper  which 
was  to  go  to  the  R.S. 

Nov.  24i/i. — My  brother  went  with  Mrs.  H.  and  Miss 
Baldwin  to  Bath,  the  keys  to  Obs.,  &c.,  were  given  me  to 
make  order  and  for  despatching  memorandums  which  would 
have  employed  me  for  much  longer  time  than  it  was  likely  I 
should  be  allowed  for  doing  them  to  my  own  satisfaction. 

Dec.  15th. — The  family  returned,  my  brother  extremely  ill, 
and  the  next  day  I  had  my  furniture  transported  to  Windsor, 
where  I  had  taken  a  couple  of  rooms  to  board  and  lodge 
with  my  eldest  nephew,  G.  Griesbach,  and 

Dec.  17th. — I  slept  there  for  the  first  night. 

March  28^/i. — The  MSS.  and  astronomical  books  in  general 
were  removed  out  of  the  observatory  above  stairs  and  lodged 
in  my  brother's  library.  This  alteration  proved  to  be  an 
additional  clog  to  nay  business  (which  besides  was  daily  in- 
creasing on  me)  for  1  lost  by  this  means  my  workroom  and 
found  it  very  difficult  to  keep  the  necessaiy  order  among  the 
MSS.  ***** 


108  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.         [isoo-isoi. 

April  20th. — Moved  from  Windsor  to  a  small  liouse  at 
Chalvy,  rented  from  Mr.  House,  the  wood-cutter. 

June  9th. — My  brother  went  to  Bath;  by  the  25th  he 
was  returned. 

July  1st. — Alexander  came  from  Bath. 

July  2Qth. — I  went  to  Slough  to  take  (along  with  Alex.) 
care  of  the  house  whilst  my  brother,  with  his  family,  were 

from  home. 

***** 
***** 

February  20th. — The  first  time  Mrs.  Beckedorff's  name 
being  mentioned  in  my  memorandums  as  having  dined  with 
her,  and  the  whole  party  leaving  the  dining-room  on  the 
Princesses  Augusta,  Amelia,  and  the  Duke  of  Cambridge 
coming  in  to  see  me. 

March  2nd. — I  went  with  Mrs.  H.  and  Miss  Baldwin  to 
town  on  a  visit  to  Dr.  and  Miss  Wilson,  and  went  with  a 
party  to  F.  Griesbach's  concert  at  the  Opera  House.  The 
4th  we  returned. 

April  7th. — I  shut  my  house  at  Chalvy,  and  went  with 
my  maid  to  Slough,  the  latter  to  supply  the  place  of  the 
servants  Mrs.  H.  took  with  her  to  town. 

May  Qth. — My  brother  went  to  take  a  paper  to  the  K.  S., 
and  remained  there  till  the  15th. 

May  26th. — I  returned  home  to  Chalvy  very  ill  with  a 
bad  leg,  having  waited  too  long  before  I  called  in  assistance. 

June  27th. — The  carriage  was  sent  to  take  me  to  Slough. 
Hitherto  work  had  been  daily  sent  me. 

July  13th. — My  brother,  Mrs.  H.,  my  nephew  John,  and 
Miss  Baldwin  left  Slough  to  go  to  Paris. 

August   25th. — All    returned   with  my  nephew   danger- 

*  Mrs.  Beckedorff  was  "the  sweet  little  girl  of  ten  or  eleven  years  old  " 
with  whom  Miss  Herschel  had  exchanged  pleasant  greetings  when  they  were 
both  taking  lessons  in  dressmaking  from  Madame  Klister,  in  Hanover,  thirty- 
five  years  before.  (See  p.  22.) 


CHAP,  in.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  109 

ously  ill.  Going  daily  for  some  hours  to  work  at  the 
Observatory,  and  to  receive  visitors  and  letters,  had  not 
hastened  my  recovery,  for  it  required  no  less  than  seven 
months  before  I  could  be  without  the  attendance  of  Dr.  Pope. 

March  25£/t. — I  moved  from  Chalvy  to  Upton. 

April  3rd. — Spent  the  day  at  Slough.  Dr.  and  Miss 
Wilson,  Miss  Whites,  and  Professor  Johnes,  from  Cam- 
bridge, were  there. 

April  12£/&. — Had  an  account  of  my  sister  Griesbach's 
death.  She  died  March  30th. 

May  1st. — From  the  1st  till  the  18th  I  worked  with  my 
brother  at  Slough,  when  he  went  to  town,  and  I  returned  to 
Upton ;  but  went  daily  to  the  library  to  work  till  the  26th, 
when  my  brother,  with  his  family,  came  home  from  town. 

June  13i/i. — Alexander  arrived  from  Bath. 

June  2,5th. — Spent  a  melancholy  day  at  the  Queen's 
Lodge  on  account  of  the  French  having  taken  Hanover. 

September  ~L8tJi. — My  brother  Alex,  returned  to  Bath. 

October  18th. — I  changed  my  rooms  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Slaughter,  who  had  taken  the  house 
and  gardens  at  Upton,  excepting  two  rooms  for  my  habitation. 

November  6th. — I  spent  the  day  at  Slough.  Professor 
Valis,*  with  his  lady,  from  Mario w,  was  there. 

November  19th. — I  dined  at  Slough  to  meet  Dr.,  Mrs., 
and  Miss  Maskelyne. 

December. — Almost  throughout  the  whole  month  I  worked 
at  Slough  from  breakfast  till  nine  in  the  evening. 

March  16th. — Finished  re-calculating  sweeps. 

Mem. — Above  8,760  observations  have  been  brought  to 
[the  year]  1800. 

A23ril4tli. — Dined  at  Slough  to  meet  Mrs.  Bates  and  a 
large  party.  In  the  evening  we  heard  Mrs.  B.  sing  Mad 
Bess,  &c.,  &c. 

*  Probably  Professor  Wales,  mathematical  master  at  Christ's  Hospital, 
author  of  a  mathematical  paper  published  in  the  "  Phil.  Trans.,"  1781. 


110  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [isoi-1805. 

April  18th. — I  went  to  Slough.  My  brother  went,  with 
his  family,  to  Bath. 

May  10th. — My  brother  returned. 

August  5th. — My  brother  Alexander  came  from  Bath. 

*  *  *  *  * 

***** 

November  22»fZ. — I  went  to  make  some  stay  at  Slough 
during  the  time  my  brother  spent  in  town  with  his  family. 

December  10th. — I  returned  to  Upton. 

January  14th. — I  went,  with  my  brother's  family,  to  a 
morning  concert,  to  my  nephew,  H.  Griesbach,  to  hear  the 

Hanoverian  Concert-Meister  Le  Vec  play. 

***** 

March  5th. — Went  to  make  some  stay  with  my  brother  at 
Slough,  Mrs.  H.  being  in  town. 

March  Z7th. — All  returned,  and  I  went  with  my  work  to 
Upton  again. 


August  14th. — I  went  to  stay  with  Alex,  at  Slough  while 
my  eldest  brother  went  with  his  family  from  home.  They 
had  intended  to  have  left  Slough  on  the  12th,  but  were 

detained  in  consequence  of  a  report  of  an  expected  invasion. 

***** 
***** 

In  September  was  much  hindered  in  my  work  by  the 
packing  of  the  Spanish  telescope,  which  was  done  at  the 
bam  and  rick-yard  at  Upton,  my  room  being  all  the  while 
filled  with  the  optical  apparatus. 

September  24i/i. — I  went  to  work  with  my  brother  at  Slough. 

October  1st. — When  Mrs.  H.,  with  her  niece,  returned 
from  Newbury,  I  went  again  to  Upton.  The  Spanish 
telescope  left  England  in  October.* 

November  13th. — I  went  to  Slough,  the  family  to  town; 

*  The  cost  of  this  fine  instrument,  which  had  been  ordered  by  the  King  of 


CHAP,  in.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  Ill 

but,  in  the  absence  of  the  moon,  my  brother  was  at  home,, 
and  much  observing,  and  work  was  despatched. 

December  1st. —  All  came  home,  and  I  went  to  my  solitude 
again.*  During  the  winter  months  I  suffered  much  from  a 
violent  cough  and  cold,  and  found  great  difficulty  in  des- 
patching the  copying,  &c.,  which  daily  was  sent  to  me  when 

I  was  unable  to  go  to  my  brother. 

***** 

May  1st. — I  went  to  Slough  to  make  some  stay  with  my 
brother. 

***** 

July  4th. — My  brother  went  to  Gravesend  to  meet  my 
youngest  brother  (who  came  to  pay  us  a  visit),  and  was 
detained  there  for  a  passport. 

July  6th. — In  the  evening  they  both  arrived  at  Slough. 

July  Wth. — Alexander  joined  us  from  Bath The 

same  day  my  eldest  brother  went  to  the  visitation  of  the 
Observatory  at  Greenwich,  and  my  brother  D.  accompanied 
him.  They  returned  on  the  12th. 

July  13th. — We  went  all  to  the  Terrace,  and  took  our  tea 
with  Mrs.  Bremeyer  and  Mr.  Beckedorff  at  the  Castle. 

July  23rd. — Dietrich  took  leave  of  his  friends  at  Cumber- 
land Lodge.  Alex,  and  I  accompanied  him.  In  "Windsor 
I  went  shopping  to  buy  presents  for  my  Hanoverian  relations. 

Spain  as  long  before  as  January,  1796,  was  £3150.  The  Prince  of  Cauino  paid 
£2310  for  a  ten  and  a  seven-foot  telescope  from  the  same  indefatigable  hands. 
But  although  the  pecuniary  profit  was  great,  it  is  not  surprising  that  Miss. 
Herschel  should  bemoan  the  "making  and  selling  of  telescopes  "  as  unworthy 
of  the  enormous  amount  of  time  and  labour  which  must  be  withdrawn  from 
the  study  of  astronomy ;  and  it  is  evident  that  the  fatigue  and  exhaustion 
from  polishing  mirrors  told  seriously  upon  Sir  William's  health. 

*  A  characteristic  little  note  from  her  brother  belongs  to  this  time  :  "  Lina, 
— Last  night  I  '  popt '  upon  a  comet.  It  is  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  between 
Fomalhout  and  &  Ceti,  but  above  the  line  that  joins  the  two  stars.  It  made  an 
equilateral  triangle  (downwards)  with  100  and  107  Aquarii.  I  wrote  last 
night  to  Sir  J.  Banks  and  write  now  also  to  Dr.  Maskelyne.  Adieu. 

Dec.  9,  1805." 


112  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.        [isos-isoe- 

July  24£/i.—  D.  left  us.  My  eldest  brother  and  Mrs.  H. 
accompanied  him  to  London. 

***** 
***** 

August  1st. — I  left  Upton  for  Slough.  My  brother  went 
with  Mrs.  H.  and  Miss  B.  on  an  excursion.  My  nephew  went 
to  spend  the  holidays  at  Newbury,  at  the  Miss  Whites. 
One  man  and  a  woman  were  left  with  me  to  take  care  of  the 
house.  I  distracted  my  thoughts  by  undertaking  an  amaz- 
ing deal  of  work ;  among  the  rest,  I  made  catalogues  of  all 
books  and  MSS.  my  brother's  library  contained,  and  ar- 
ranged them,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  according  to 
what  the  confined  room  would  allow. 

September  8th. — My  brother  and  family  returned,  and  I 
went  with  my  works  to  Upton.  Dr.  and  Miss  Wilson  were 
at  Slough  from  September  22nd  to  September  30th. 

Mem. — During  September,  and  the  early  part  of  October, 
many  days  were  spent  at  Slough  in  assisting  my  brother 
•when,  the  40-foot  mirror  was  re-polishing. 

December  ZStli. — I  went  to  see  Mrs.  Bremeyer,  but  found 
she  had  died  ten  hours  before  my  arrival  at  the  Castle. 

January  15th. — My  brother  went  to  Bath  to  see  his 
brother  and  Sir  "Win.  Watson. 

January  24i/t,  5th,  and  6th. — I  spent  with  my  friends  at 
Windsor.  My  brother  returned  with  a  violent  cough,  added 
to  a  nervous  headache  which  it  had  been  hoped  would,  by 
change  of  air,  have  been  removed.  My  brother  brought  the 
place  of  a  comet  announced  in  the  papers  with  him.  I  had 
also  heard  of  it  at  the  Castle,  and  saw  it  on  the  27th  at 
Upton.  Next  day  I  had  my  sweeper  carried  to  Slough,  but 
the  nights  of  the  28th,  29th,  and  30th  were  not  clear  enough, 
and  I  could  not  find  it  again  till  the  31st,  when  my  brother 
began  his  observations  on  it 


CHAP,  in.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  113 

May  2nd. — I  left  Upton  for  Slough,  to  work  with  ray 
brother.  Mrs.  H.  being  in  town  till 

June  18tk. — Spent  the  day  at  Slough,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watt 
being  there  on  a  visit,  and  a  large  party  to  dinner. 

Aug.  13th. — I  went  with  Mrs.  H.  and  rny  nephew  to 
pay  a  visit  to  our  friends  at  Cumberland  Lodge.  My 
brother,  again  finding  it  necessary  to  recruit  his  strength 
by  absenting  himself  for  a  few  days  from  his  work-rooms, 
had  left  Slough  for  Ttmbridge  Wells  just  the  day  before, 
and  at  our  return  we  found  the  Duke  of  Kent,  with  the 
Dukes  of  Orleans,  &c.,  waiting  for  us,  and  my  nephew 
[ffitat.  15]  and  nryself  showed  them  Jupiter,  the  Moon,  &c., 
in  the  seven-foot. 

Awj.  29f/i. — I  dined  at  the  Castle.  The  Queen  and 
Princess  Elizabeth  honoured  me  with  kind  enquiries  after 
the  health  of  my  brother,  £c.  The  Princesses  Augusta  and 
Mary  also  came  to  see  me  in  Miss  Beckedorffs  room.  On 
coming  home  the  next  day,  I  found  my  brother  had  arrived 
the  day  before. 

Sept.  22nd. — In  taking  the  forty-foot  mirror  out  of  the 
tube,  the  beam  to  which  the  tackle  is  fixed  broke  in  the 
middle,  but  fortunately  not  before  it  wras  nearly  lowered 
into  its  carriage,  &c.,  &c.  Both  my  brothers  had  a  narrow 

escape  of  being  crushed  to  death. 

***** 

***** 

Oct.  1st. — Received  an  account  and  letters  announcing  a 
comet. 

Oct.  2nd. —  Saw  the  comet,  visible  to  the  naked  eye. 

Oct.  4th. — My  brother  came  from  Brighton.  The  same 
night  two  parties  from  the  Castle  came  to  see  the  comet, 
and  during  the  whole  month  my  brother  had  not  an  evening 
to  himself.  As  he  was  then  in  the  midst  of  polishing  the 
forty-foot  mirror,  rest  became  absolutely  necessary  after  a 


114  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.       [isoe-iso;. 

day  spent  in  that  most  laborious  work ;  and  it  lias  ever  been 
niy  opinion  that  on  the  14th  of  October  his  nerves  received 
a  shock  of  which  he  never  got  the  better  afterwards ;  for  on 
that  day  (in  particular)  he  had  hardly  dismissed  his  troop 
of  men,  when  visitors  assembled,  and  from  the  time  it  was 
dark  till  past  midnight  he  was  on  the  grass-plot  surrounded 
by  between  fifty  and  sixty  persons,  without  having  had  time 
for  putting  on  proper  clothing,  or  for  the  least  nourishment 
passing  his  lips.  Among  the  company  I  remember  were 
the  Duke  of  Sussex,  Prince  Galitzin,  Lord  Darnley,  a  num- 
ber of  officers,  Admiral  Boston,  and  some  ladies. 

Nov.  3rd. — I  came  home  to  Upton  (Mrs.  H.  returned  from 
Brighton),  but  went  most  days  to  assist  my  brother  in  the 
polishing-rooni  or  library,  and  from  the  10th  December  to 
the  22nd  I  was  entirely  at  Slough  going  on  as  above  unin- 
terruptedly, Mrs.  Herschel  being  with  my  nephew,  and  Miss 
Baldwin  at  Newbury  with  the  Miss  Whites. 

Jan. — Many  days  at  work  in  the  library  and  workrooms 
assisting  my  brother. 

Feb.  3rd. — When  at  work  in  the  library  the  Duke  of 
Cambridge  came  in.  We  were  obliged  to  a  storm  for  his 
visit,  as  he  came  in  for  the  shelter. 

Feb.  6th. — When  I  came  to  Slough  to  assist  my  brother 
in  polishing  the  forty-foot  mirror,  I  found  my  nephew  very 
ill  with  an  inflammatory  sore  throat  and  fever. 

Feb.  9th. — Still  very  ill ;  and  my  brother  obliged  to  go 
on  with  the  polishing  of  the  great  mirror,  as  every  arrange- 
ment had  been  made  for  that  purpose.  Mem.  I  believe  ray 
brother  had  reason  for  choosing  the  cold  season  for  this 
laborious  work,  the  exertion  of  which  alone  must  put  any 
man  into  a  fever  if  he  were  ever  so  strong. 

Feb.  10th. — From  this  day  my  nephew's  health  kept  on 
mending. 


CHAP,  in.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  115 

Feb.  19th. — My  nephew  mending,  but  my  brother  not 
well. 

Feb.  26£/i. — My  brother  so  ill  that  I  was  not  allowed  to 
see  him,  and  till  March  8  his  life  was  despaired  of,  and  by 

Mar.  10th. — I  was  permitted  to  see  him,  but  only  for  two 
or  three  minutes,  for  he  is  not  allowed  to  speak. 

Mar.  22?itZ. — He  went  for  the  first  time  into  his  library, 
but  could  only  remain  for  a  few  moments. 

April  7th. — I  went  to  stay  at  Slough,  my  brother  going 
by  short  stages  to  Bath,  Mrs.  H.,  my  nephew,  and  Miss 
Baldwin  with  him. 

May  9th. — My  brother  returned,  nearly  recovered,  but 
with  a  violent  cold  and  cough  caught  on  the  journey. 
,  May  Z4th. — I  went  to  Slough  to  be  with  my  brother  till 
the  31st.  In  fine  nights  observing ;  working  in  the  day- 
time, and  writing  a  paper  on  comets,  filled  up  the  time, 
though  neither  my  brother  nor  myself  were  well. 

June  7th. — "Was  the  Montem,  of  course  much  company. 

June  13th. — I  dined  at  the  Castle  to  meet  Lady  and  Miss 

Banks,  Mr.  De  Luc,*  &c. 

***** 

July  1st. — Alexander  arrived  at  Slough.  Mem.  We 
received  very  distressing  accounts  from  our  brother  at 
Hanover. 

July  21st  till  26f/i. — My  brother  was  absent,  and  I  was 
daily  at  work  in  the  library. 

Sept.  5th. — Alexander  returned  to  Bath,  leaving  his  bro- 
ther far  from  well.  The  laborious  exertions  required  for 
the  polishing  of  the  forty -foot  mirror,  besides  the  overlook- 
ing and  directing  the  workmen  out  of  doors,  who  were  at 
work  on  the  repairs  of  the  apparatus,  during  the  month  of 
August,  had  again  proved  too  much  for  him. 

*  De  Luc  was  a  geologist  of  high  reputation  ;  an  ardent  opponent  of  Hut- 
tonian  views. 

I  2 


116  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschd.  [1809. 

Oct.  4th. — I  went  to  Slough ;  my  brother,  Mrs.  H.,  my 
nephew,  and  his  cousin,  went  to  Brighton.  My  brother 
was  absent  about  a  week,  during  which  time  I  worked  as 
long  as  I  could  see  in  the  library,  and  spent  the  evenings  in 
booking  observations,  &c.,  and  such  works  as  could  be  done 
within  doors. 

Nov.  %nd. — My  brother  went  to  town,  endeavouring  to 
gain  some  information  about  my  brother  Dietrich,  who,  ac- 
cording to  a  message  from  a  merchant  in  town,  ought  to 
have  by  this  time  been  in  England. 

Nov.  6th. — A  letter  from  Harwich  arrived  informing  us 
that  D.  was  waiting  there  for  a  passport. 

Nov.  7th. —  D.  arrived  at  Slough,  but  was  obliged  to 
return  for  his  trunk  and  to  show  himself  at  the  alien  office, 
and  I  did  not  see  him  till  the  evening  of  the  9th. 

Dec.  19?/t. — Dietrich  left  Slough  for  lodgings  in  Pimlico, 
London.  Came  with  Fr.  Griesbach  the  day  before  Christ- 
mas Day,  and  returned  to  town  the  26th. 

Mem.  From  the  hour  of  Dietrich's  arrival  in  England 
till  that  of  his  departure,  which  was  not  till  nearly  four 
years  after,  I  had  not  a  day's  respite  from  accumulated 
trouble  and  anxiety,  for  he  came  ruined  in  health,  spirit, 
and  fortune,  and,  according  to  the  old  Hanoverian  custom, 
I  was  the  only  one  from  Avhorn  all  domestic  comforts  were 
expected.  I  hope  I  have  acquitted  myself  to  everybody's 
satisfaction,  for  I  never  neglected  my  eldest  brother's  busi- 
ness, and  the  time  I  bestowed  on  Dietrich  was  taken  en- 
tirely from  my  sleep  or  from  what  is  generally  allowed  for 
meals,  which  were  mostly  taken  running,  or  sometimes  for- 
gotten entirely.  But  why  think  of  it  noAV  ! 

Jan. — Throughout  the  whole  month  I  had  a  cough,  my 
nephew  a  sore  throat  and  fever.  Great  flood  and  stormy 
weather.  The  communication  between  Slough  and  Upton 
was  very  troublesome  to  me. 


CHAP,  in.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  117 

Jan.  IBtJi. — I  spent  the  day  at  Slough.  Dietrich  came 
for  the  evening  to  assist  at  a  concert.  I  was  shocked  to 
see  him  so  much  worse,  but  I  was  obliged  to  see  him  return 
to  town  the  next  morning  with  Fr.  Griesbach.  I  was  pre- 
vented by  my  own  illness  and  the  severity  of  the  weather 
from  going  to  see  him  in  town,  and 

Feb.  5th. — I  sprained  my  ankle  in  coming  home  in  the 
evening  from  Slough,  by  attempting  to  walk  through  the 
snow  in  pattens,  and  my  brother  was  obliged  to  send  me 
work  to  Upton,  for  it  was  not  till  a  fortnight  after,  that  I 
could  walk  again,  and  I  felt  the  effects  of  the  accident  for 
above  three  months  after. 

Mar.  9th. — I  went  to  Slough  to  work  with  my  brother. 
His  family  were  from  home.  Much  work  was  done  during 
the  time,  but  the  polishing  the  forty-foot  was  interrupted 
on  the  24th  by  the  hot  weather. 


Oct.  Znd. — Alex  left  Slough.  I  was  very  ill,  and  had  Dr. 
Pope  to  attend  me. 

Oct.  9tk. — Dismissed  Pope  and  went  to  Dr.  Phips. 

Oct.  17£/i.— My  nephew  weni,  to  Cambridge.  His  mother 
and  Miss  Baldwin  remained  in  lodgings  at  Cambridge. 

Nov.  20f/£. — Phips  pronounced  me  out  of  danger  from 
becoming  blind,  which  he  ought  to  have  done  much  sooner, 
or  rather  not  to  have  put  me  unnecessarily  under  such 
dreadful  apprehension. 

Dec.  6th. — Dietrich  went  to  London  for  the  winter. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

DIARY — continued — 1810. 

***** 
***** 
***** 

April  29?/z. — My  nephew  took  leave  of  ine,  returning  to 
Cambridge. 

May  4th. — I  went  to  Slough,  rny  brother  going  to  town 
with  Mrs.  H.  He  returned  after  a  short  stay,  and  I  re- 
mained with  him  till  Mrs.  H.  came  home  again.  Some  of 
niy  last  clays  of  staying  at  Slough  I  spent  in  papering  and 
painting  the  rooms  I  was  to  occupy  in  a  small  house  of  nry 
brother's  attached  to  the  Crown  Inn,  to  which  I  removed. 

July  IWi. — I  went  to  remain  at  my  brother's  house  du- 
ring the  time  he,  with  Mrs.  H.  and  Miss  Baldwin,  went  to 

Scotland. 

***** 

Sept.  18th. — My  brother  and  the  family  returned,  and 
Dietrich  came  to  Slough,  a  room  being  prepared  for  him 

in  my  cottage. 

***** 

Dec.  1st. — Dietrich  went  to  town  to  enter  on  his  winter 
engagement. 


* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

from,  a  .Dram  ing  by  .Lcuiy  G-prrf<>n, 
ayZrjfbb- 


•     WJKRAY, 


CHAP,  iv.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  119 

July  22«cZ. — My  brother  with  his  family  left  Slough  on  a 
tour  to  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow.  I  went  to  his  house  till 
they  returned,  Sept.  18th. 

Aug.  Qth. — Dietrich  came  to  Slough,  and  I  left  him  to 

the  care  of  Mrs.  Cock,  at  my  habitation. 

***** 


*  *       -  *  *  * 

***** 

May  llth. — I  went  to  be  with  my  brother  ;  Mrs.  H.  went 
to  town  for  a  month. 

June  1st. — Dietrich  came  to  Slough,  disengaged  from  all 
business  in  town  to  spend  the  last  few  weeks  he  was  to 
be  in  England  with  us. 

June  IZth. — Mrs.  H.  returned  from  town,  and  I  went 
home  to  look  to  the  necessary  preparations  for  Dietrich's 
precarious  (sic)  journey  he  was  obliged  to  make  through 
Sweden. 

June  2,7th. — My  eldest  brother  went  to  Oxford,  came 
back  the  30th,  and  Alexander  arrived  the  same  day  from 
Bath. 

July  8th. — Dietrich  left  us ;  Alex  accompanied  him  to 
town. 

July  14th. — Dietrich  left  Harwich,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
month  we  received  a  letter  dated  Gottenburg,  July  18,  and 
so  far  we  knew  that  he  was  safe,  but  of  receiving  any  further 
account  we  had  not  the  least  prospect,  for  all  communica- 
tion, with  Hanover  in  particular,  was  cut  off. 

Sept. — Mrs.  Goltermann  came  to  see  me,  and  took  a  bed 
at  my  cottage,  I  being  left  alone  at  my  brother's  house. 
The  family  were  at  Dawlish  with  Sir  William  Watson. 

Oct.  5th. — My  nephew  left  Slough  for  Cambridge,  with 
intention  of  not  returning  till  his  studies  were  ended  at 
the  University.  The  latter  end  of  September  Mr.  Goiter- 


120  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL 

inann  received  a  few  lines  which  came  open  through  France 
to  him,  dated  September  4,  showing  that  a  letter  of  August 
15th  had  been  lost,  and  that  at  Helsinfors  Dietrich  had  been 
robbed  of  his  pocketbook  when  under  examination  ;  to  this 
accident  we  were  indebted  for  knowing  that  he  was  got 
home,  as  he  was  obliged  to  write  for  a  duplicate  bill  of 
exchange ;  such  letters  were,  though  unsealed,  allowed  to 
pass  through  France. 

1813. — The  three  last  months  of  the  preceding  year  I 
spent  mostly  in  solitude  at  home,  except  when  I  was  wanted 

to  assist  my  brother  at  night  or  in  his  library. 

***** 

Jan.  25th. — Congratulatory  letters  arrived  from  Cam- 
bridge on  my  nephew's  having  obtained  the  Senior 
Wranglership.  He  was  then  contending  for  another  prize, 
which  a  few  days  after  he  also  obtained,  so  that  from  the 
time  he  entered  the  University  till  his  leaving  he  had  gained 
all  the  first  prizes  without  exception. 


March  5th. — Miss  S.  White,  with  her  maid  Sally  (one  of 
my  nephew's  nurses),  came  to  be  present  at  my  nephew's 
twenty-first  birthday. 

March  7th  and  8th. — I  joined  the  company  who  dined 
there  on  this  occasion,  and  I  must  not  forget  that  my  nephew 
presented  me  with  a  very  handsome  necklace,  which  I  after- 
wards sent  to  my  niece  Groskopf,  when  a  bride,  and  I  being 

too  old  for  wearing  such  ornaments. 

***** 

March  17th. — My  nephew  went  again  to  Cambridge  to 
offer  himself  as  candidate  for  a  fellowship,  there  being  three 
vacant,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  examination  he  ob- 
tained the  first  choice  of  the  three. 

March  25th. — I   went  to  be    with    my  brother.     Mrs. 


CHAP,  iv.]  Extracts  from  Diary,  121 

/         Herscliel  and  Miss  Baldwin  followed  my  nephew  to  Cam- 
bridge to  assist  him  in  settling  his  occasional  residence  there. 


May  3rd. — I  intended  to  pay  a  long-promised  visit  to  Mrs. 
Goltermann,  but  found  my  brother  too  busy  with  putting 
the  forty-foot  mirror  in  the  tube,  the  carriage  having  broke 
down  between  the  polishing-rooni  and  the  tube.  Therefore 
I  postponed  my  journey  till  I  was  sure  I  should  not  be 
wanted  at  home. 

May  10th. — I  went  to  London,  and  met  with  a  friendly 
reception  at  Mrs.  Goltermann's. 

May  llth. — I  went  with  Mrs.  G.  and  a  Mrs.  Kramer  to 
Kensington.  I  remained  with  Miss  Wilson  whilst  they  paid 
a  charitable  visit  to  the  two  ladies  attendant  on  the  Duchess 
of  Brunswick,  who  were  left  in  a  very  distressed  situation 
by  the  death  of  their  mistress. 

The  evening  we  spent  at  Buckingham  House  with  Mrs. 
Beckedorff. 

May  IZtli. — The  forenoon  and  early  part  of  the  afternoon 
were  spent  in  shopping  and  visiting,  the  evening  again  at 
Buckingham  House,  where  I  just  arrived  as  the  Queen  and 
Princesses  Elizabeth  and  Mary,  and  the  Princess  Sophia 
Mathilda  of  Gloucester,  were  ready  to  step  into  their  chairs 
going  to  Caiiton  House,  full  dressed  for  a  fete,  and  meeting 
me  and  Mrs.  Goltermann  in  the  hall,  they  stopped  for  near 
ten  minutes,  making  each  in  their  turn  the  kindest  enquiries 
how  I  liked  London,  &c.,  &c. 

On  entering  Mrs.  BeckedoriTs  room  I  found  Madame 
D'Arblay  (Miss  Biirney),  and  we  spent  a  very  pleasant 
evening. 

May  15th. — I  went  to  the  Exhibition ;  the  evening  at 
Baron  Best's,  where  I  met  the  Beckedorffs.  On  my  return 
home  I  found  a  letter  from  my  brother  with  Sir  William 


122  Caroline  Litcretia  Herschel.  [isu. 

Watson's  direction  that  I  might  give  them  the  meeting  in 
town.  The  next  morning  I  spent  a  few  hours  with  them, 
and  next  day  Sir  William,  with  Lady  Watson  and  Miss  Jay, 
called  on  me  in  Charles  Street.  Baron  Best  also  called 
and  brought  me  the  place  of  a  comet  from  the  "  Hamburger 
Zeitungen." 

May  18th. — I  went  home  and  found  a  great  deal  of  work 
prepared  for  me.  The  evening  was  spent  in  sweeping  for 
the  comet,  but  I  could  not  find  it,  the  weather  was  not 
clear. 

June  14th. — I  returned  to  continue  my  works  in  the  day- 
time at  my  own  rooms,  and  the  fine  evenings  assisting  my 
brother  when  observing,  but  we  were  much  interrupted  by 
Mrs.  H.  being  seriously  ill.  She  was  confined  to  her  room 
and  bed  from  the  25th  of  June  till  the  8th  of  August  before 
perfectly  recovered. 

July  24th. — Alexander  arrived  at  Slough  to  spend  the 
summer  and  work  with  his  brother. 

***** 
***** 
***** 

Nov.  13th. — I  had  a  call  from  Miss  Joanna  Baillie. 

Nov.  29//t. — Mr.  Rehberg  brought  the  first  letter  from  our 
brother  Dietrich,  dated  November  10th,  which,  though  still 
written  with  great  caution,  gave  us,  after  a  lapse  of  sixteen 
months,  the  assurance  that  he  and  his  family  were  living. 

Dec.  4th. — I  met  Madame  D'Arblay  and  Mr.  Rehberg, 
&c.,  at  the  Castle. 

Jan.  1st. — My  nephew,  John  Herschel,  brought  me,  for  a 
New  Year's  present,  a  new  publication  by  him. 

Mem. — The  winter  was  uncommonly  severe.  My  brother 
suffering  from  indisposition,  and  I,  for  my  part,  felt  I  should 
never  be  anything  else  but  an  invalid  for  life,  but  which  I 


CHAP,  iv.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  123 

very  carefully  kept  to  myself,  as  I  wished  to  be  useful  tojmy 
brother  as  long  as  possibly  I  could 

Feb.  7th. — I  was  obliged  to  move  to  a  small  cottage  in 
Slough,  at  a  considerable  distance  from  my  brother.  I 
began  to  move,  and  slept  there  for  the  first  night,  the  22nd. 

April  1st. — My  brother  went  to  Bath  to  see  his  brother  and 
Sir  William  Watson.  His  cough  still  very  bad,  and  the 
12th,  when  he  came  home,  we  learned  that  he  had  been 
taken  very  ill  on  the  road  and  suffered  much  when  at  Bath. 
It  was  not  till  many  weeks  after,  when  the  warm  weather 
came  on,  that  he  felt  relieved.  A  few  days  after  his  return 
from  Bath,  we  received  notice  by  a  message  from  the  Queen  of 
the  Duchess  of  Oldenburg's  intention  of  coming  to  see  my 
brother's  instruments.  Everything  was  put  in  readiness  for 
either  a  morning  or  evening  visit,  but  the  weather  being 
very  bad,  the  visit  was  put  off  till  the  arrival  of  the 
Emperor. 

May  4th. — I  went  to  be  with  my  brother.  Mr.  H.  and  Miss 
B.  went  to  meet  my  nephew  in  town,  who  was  keeping  a 
term  in  the  Temple,  where  he  had  commenced  to  be  a 

student  for  the  law  in  February. 

***** 

June  Wth. — My  brother,  being  about  this  time  engaged 
with  re-polishing  the  forty-foot  mirror,  it  required  some  time 
to  restore  order  in  his  rooms  before  any  strangers  could  be 
shown  into  them,  and  I  again  was  assisting  him  to  prepare 
for  the  reception  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  and  the  Duchess 
of  Oldenburg,  &c.,  as  they  were  at  Windsor  for  Ascot  Races. 
But  we  might  have  saved  ourselves  the  trouble,  for  they 

were  sufficiently  harassed  with  public  sights  and  festivities. 

***** 

Sept.  13th. — During  the  time  I  was  with  my  brother  I  saw 
among  the  visitors,  &c.,  General  P.,  who  informed  us  of 
General  Komarzewsky's  death,  and  on  my  expressing  a 


124  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [isis-16. 

hope  it  might  not  be  true,  le  General  said  he  had  buried 
him  himself  at  Paris,  and  had  erected  to  him  a  little  monu- 
ment as  long  as  seven  years  ago. 

Sept.  20th. — I  came  to  my  home  again, '  but  under  the 
greatest  concern  at  being  obliged  to  leave  my  brother  with- 
out my  little  help.  But  I  have  since  been  with  him  every 
morning  till  he  told  me  he  should  leave  off.  His  strength 
is  now,  and  has  for  the  last  two  or  three  years  not  been 
equal  to  the  labour  required  for  polishing  forty-foot  mirrors. 
And  it  was  only  by  little  excursions  and  absence  from  his 
workrooms,  he  for  some  time  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
over-exertion. 

Nov.  15th. — I  went  to  work  with  my  brother,  which  chiefly 
consisted  of  calculations  and  constructing  new  tables  for  the 
Georgian  satellites,  &c.,  &c. 

Nov.  29i/i. — Mrs.  H.  returned,  and  I  continued  calculat- 
ing and  copying  at  home. 

***** 

Aug.  llth. — Alexander  left  Slough,  my  eldest  brother  with 
him,  going  on  to  Dawlish  to  recruit  his  strength  again.  His 
declining  health  had  a  sad  effect  on  Alexander's  spirits,  and 
I  was  in  continual  fear  of  the  consequences ;  for  nothing  but 
the  thoughts  of  the  3Tearly  meeting  had  till  now  kept  up  his 
spirits.  From  what  is  yet  to  follow,  it  will  be  seen  that 
our  next  meeting  was  not  only  the  last,  but  a  very  distress- 
ing one. 

Sept.  llth. — I  went  to  be  with  my  brother,  and  remained 
with  him  till  the  12th  of  October.  The  first  fortnight  of 
my  being  with  him  he  was  not  able  to  do  anything  which 
required  strength. 


Jan.  2nd. — I  was  obliged  to  attend  at  Slough  by  eight 


CHAP,  iv.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  125 

o'clock,  to  be  present  when  the  Archdukes  John  and  Louis 
of  Austria  visited  my  brother  and  his  instruments. 

Jan.  9th. — My  nephew  received  a  diploma  of  being  Member 
of  the  University  of  Gottingen.  The  packet  brought  very 
satisfactory  letters  from  our  brother  at  Hanover. 

Feb.  4th. — My  brother  sent  the  carriage  to  fetch  me  home 
[from  the  Castle],  and  I  was  desired  to  write  to  our  brother 
Alexander  at  Bath,  from  whom,  a  most  melancholy  letter 
had  that  morning  arrived,  acquainting  us  with  his  being 
confined  to  his  bed,  having  received  an  injury  to  his  knee. 

April  5tJi. — My  brother  received  the  Royal  Hanoverian 
Guelphic  Order. 

May  12?/i. — My  brother  went  to  town  to  prepare  for  going 
to  a  levee  at  the  Regent's  next  Tuesday.  He  brought  me 

the  keys  to  the  library  for  going  there  to  work. 

***** 

June  17th. — I  went  to  my  brother's  house,  and  was  left  in 
the  deepest  concern  for  his  health.  He  went  with  his  family 
to  Cambridge.  [Alexander  was  to  make  a  journey  to  Han- 
over.] 

Sept.  Slid. — I  saw  Alexander  led  by  Captain  Stevens  on 
board  ....  of  whom  I  had  the  assurance  that  he  would 
see  Alexander  safe  to  Dietrich's  friend,  Mr.  Munter,  in 
Bremen.  A  few  hours  after  I  left  the  place  [Wapping], 
taking  with  me  receipts  from  everybody  with  whom  I  had 
had  occasion  to  keep  accounts.  I  came  very  ill  to  Mrs. 
Goltermann's,  where  I  remained  a  week  under  her  care. 

Sept.  9tli. — I  went  home. 

***** 

Sept.  23?'<i. — We  were  at  a  fete  the  Queen  gave  at  Frog- 
more.  I  was  obliged  to  return  with  my  brother  soon  after 
he  had  been  noticed  by  and  conversed  with  the  Queen  and 
Regent,  being  too  feeble  to  be  long  in  company. 

Sept.  26f/i. — We  had  letters  from  Hanover  to  acquaint  us 


126  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel. 

with  Alexander's  arrival  in  improved  health,  after  a  pleasant 
journey  both  by  sea  and  land. 

October,  Nov.,   Dec.  —  Nothing  particular  happened,  my 
nephew  remaining  at  home  working  with  his  father,  and  I 
took  the  opportunity  of  working  on  my  MS.  Catalogue  at 
those  tunes  when  I  was  left  without  employment. 
***** 

March  27th.  —  I  spend  the  day  at  my  brother's,  Sir  Robert 
and  Lady  Liston  being  there  on  a  visit  before  their  return 
to  Constantinople. 

May  10th.—  I  met  Sir  William  and  Lady  Watson  at 
dinner  at  my  brother's,  but  was  grieved  to  see  the  sad 
change  in  Sir  William's  health  and  spirits,  and  felt  my  only 
friend  and  adviser  was  lost  to  me. 

***** 

June  9th.  —  All  the  family  came  home.  I  returned  to  my 
house  with  astronomical  work  to  finish. 

June  14th.  —  Spent  the  day  at  Lady  Herschel's  to  meet 
Mrs.  and  Miss  Maskelyne. 

July  IQth  and  llth.  —  Spent  at  my  brother's,  the  mornings 
at  work  in  the  library  the  evenings  with  the  company.  .  .  . 

July  14th.  —  I  spent  with  Mrs.  Beckedorff  and  brought 
tickets  of  invitation  to  a  fete  at  Frogmore,  for  our  family, 
with  me  ;  where  we  all  went  on  the  17th  of  July  ;  but  almost 
as  soon  as  the  Royal  party  sat  down  to  dinner  I  was  obliged 
to  go  home  with  my  brother,  after  having  twice  been 
honoured  by  the  notice  and  conversation  of  the  Queen 
and  Regent,  &c.,  &c.  He  found  himself  too  feeble  to 
remain  in  company.  It  was  said  that  there  were  above 
two  thousand  persons  invited. 

***** 


Nov.  7th.  —  Prepared  for  going  into    mourning  for  the 


CHAP,  iv.j  Extracts  from  Diary.  127 

Princess  Charlotte.  Mrs.  De  Luc  died  a  few  days  after  or 
before  the  Princess. 

Feb.  llf/i. — I  went  to  niy  brother,  and  remained  with 
him  till  the  23rd.  We  spent  our  time,  though  not  in 
idleness,  in  sorrow  and  sadness.  He  is  not  only  unwell  but 
low  in  spirits. 

April  13^/i. — Princess  Elizabeth  of  Hesse  Homburg  and 
the  Prince  of  Hesse  Homburg  came  to  see  my  brother  and 

his  instruments.  They  were  attended  by  Count  O , 

Baron  K ,  and  Baron  G .  The  latter  being 

well  informed  in  the  science  of  astronomy. 

Mem.  I  lost  my  attendants,  the  C.'s,  at  the  latter  end  of 
April,  and  a  waste  of  my  time  was  the  consequence,  for  I 
never  after  met  with  anyone  who  was  deserving  of  my 
trust. 

June  8th. — The  Prince  and  Princess  Schaumburg  von  der 
Lippe,  attended  by  Fraulein  U.,  came  to  see  my  brother. 
Their  behaviour  to  him  was  truly  kind  and  affectionate  on 
leaving  him,  with  a  hope  to  see  him  in  the  same  place — in 
the  garden  at  the  foot  of  the  forty-foot  telescope — five  or  six 

years  hence,  when  they  should  come  to  England  again. 

***** 

June  25th. — From  this  day  to  July  8th  I  was  with  my 
brother.  The  family  at  Newbury ;  he  being  so  far  well 
that  without  interruption,  I  was  supplied  with  copying  as  he 
wrote. 

July  IQth. — I  went  to  my  brother's,  to  be  present  in  the 
evening  when  the  Archduke  Michael  of  Russia,  with  a 
numerous  attendance,  came  to  see  Jupiter,  &c. 

July  21st. — 

Mem.  Began  to  copy  the  numbering  of  stars  from  my 
brother's  2nd  volume  of  Flamsteed's  Observations  into  one  of 
my  own,  having  succeeded  to  procure  all  the  three  volumes 
c  omplete  at  the  price  of  four  guineas. 


128  Caroline  Lncretia  Herschel.  [isis. 

Aug.  8th. — I  spent  tlie  afternoon  with  my  brother,  who 
found  himself  very  unwell,  but  with  the  assistance  of  my 
nephew,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  showing  the  Princess  Sophia 
of  Gloucester  (who  came  in  the  evening  accompanied  by 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  several  lords  and  ladies) 
many  objects  in  the  ten-foot  telescope. 

Aug.  18th. — I  went  to  my  brother's,  his  family  left 
home  for  Brighton,  where  he  intended  to  follow  as  soon  as 
the  repairs  of  the  forty-foot  should  be  finished  ;  but  he  was. 
all  the  time  too  ill  for  being  anywhere  but  at  home.  The 
first  evening  we  were  alone,  the  Princess  Sophia  came  to  see 
the  moon.  She  was  accompanied  by  Lady  Mary  Paulet, 
another  lady,  and  some  gentlemen.  After  their  departure, 
my  brother  seemed  much  pleased  with  the  intelligent  en- 
quiries made  by  the  Princess ;  but  with  much  concern  I  saw 
that  he  had  exerted  himself  too  much  above  his  strength. 

Aug.  %5th. — I  was  obliged  to  leave  my  brother  for  a  few 
hours  to  call  on  the  Princess  Sophia  Matilda,  who  desired 
to  see  me. 


Sept.  8th. — I  spent  some  hours  with  the  Princess  at 
the  Castle. 

Oct.  14^/i. — The  Ertz  Herzog  Maximilian  of  Austria 
came  to  see  nay  brother,  charged  with  messages  from  his 
mother  to  both  my  brother  and  myself,  we  having  had  the 
honour  of  seeing  her  Imperial  Highness  at  Slough,  in  1786, 
when  on  a  visit  to  the  King,  with  her  husband  the  Arch- 
duke of  Milan. 

Nov.  12f/i. — I  spent  some  hours  in  the  forenoon  with 
the  Princess  at  the  Castle.  I  left  her  with  a  promise  of 
coming  soon  again,  but  it  was  to  be  my  last  visit  for  a  long 
time  to  come,  for  .... 

Nov.    Yltli.— The    Queen  died.     The  3rd  of  December 


CHAP,  iv.]  Extracts  from  Diary.  129 

the  Princess  returned  my  books  with  a  kind  note,  and  on 
the  4th  she  left  Windsor. 

Dec.  5th,  Qth,  7th. — I  spent  in  Windsor  to  see  Mrs. 
and  Miss  Beckedorff  at  short  intervals.  Miss  Wilson,  Miss 
S.  White,  Miss  Baldwin,  Mr.  Beckwith  (Miss  B.'s  bride- 
groom) were  visitors  for  several  days  at  Slough,  to  see  the 

funeral  of  the  Queen. 

***•#* 

Dec.  16th. — My  brother  went  to  town,  to  sit  for  his 
portrait  by  Mr.  Artaud. 

Feb.  3rd. — My  brother  went  to  town.  The  4th  I  re- 
ceived a  note  from  Mrs.  Beckedorff,  desiring  me  to  spend 
the  next  and  last  day  with  her,  but  I  went  immediately  and 
took  (as  I  then  thought)  my  last  leave  of  both  mother  and 
daughter,  for  I  could  not  leave  my  brother  on  his  return  on 
the  5th  to  be  received  only  by  the  servants,  as  he  went  from 
home  very  unwell  with  a  cold. 

Feb.  7th. — My  nephew  arrived  in  town,  and  on  the  12th 
all  came  home  and  I  returned  to  my  habitation. 

Feb.  28th.— I  heard  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Beckedorff's 
daughter,  at  Hanover.  My  brother  consented  to  my  going 
next  morning  to  London,  and  before  two  o'clock,  after  I  had 
procured  a  lodging  in  Pimlico,  I  was  with  the  poor  mourners 
at  Buckingham  House,  and  remained  till  March  4th,  when 
I  left  them,  hoping  they  would  be  able  to  leave  England  on 
the  9th. 

March  llth. — Was  Miss  Baldwin's  wedding-day,  which  I 
spent  at  Slough,  with  the  family. 

April  2nd. — My  brother  left  Slough,  accompanied  by 
Lady  H.  for  Bath,  he  being  very  unwell,  and  the  constant 
complaint  of  giddiness  in  the  head  so  much  increased,  that 
they  were  obliged  to  be  four  nights  on  the  road  both  going 
and  coming. 

The   last  moments  before  he  stepped  into  the  carriage 


130  Caroline  Lucretia,  Herschel.        [1819-1820. 

were  spent  in  walking  with  me  through  his  library  and 
workrooms,  pointing  with  anxious  looks  to  every  shelf  and 
drawer,  desiring  me  to  examine  all  and  to  make  memoran- 
dums of  them  as  well  as  T  could.  He  was  hardly  able  to 
support  himself,  and  his  spirits  were  so  low,  that  I  found 
difficulty  in  commanding  my  voice  so  far  as  to  give  him  the 
assurance  he  should  find  on  his  return  that  my  time  had  not 
been  misspent. 

When  I  was  left  alone  I  found  that  I  had  no  easy  task  to 
perform,  for  there  were  packets  of  writings  to  be  examined 
which  had  not  been  looked  at  for  the  last  forty  years.  But 
I  did  not  pass  a  single  day  without  working  in  the  library  as 
long  as  I  could  read  a  letter  without  candlelight,  and  taking 
with  me  papers  to  copy,  &c.,  &c.,  which  employed  me  for  best 
part  of  the  night,  and  thus  I  was  enabled  to  give  my  brother 
a  clear  account  of  what  had  been  done  at  his  return. 

May  1st. — But  he  returned  home  much  worse  than  he 

went,  and  for  several  days  hardly  noticed  my  handiworks. 

***** 

June  21st. — I  went  with  my  brother  to  town.  He  was  to 
sit  to  Mr.  Artaud.  We  remained  till  Friday,  whilst  Lady 
Herschel  entertained  the  Wilson  family  at  home,  who  were 
attending  the  funeral  of  Miss  Wilson  at  Upton. 

July  8th. — We  thought  my  brother  was  dying.  On  the 
9th  he  was  persuaded  to  be  blooded  in  the  arm  which  some- 
thing relieved  him. 

Aug.  I0th. — My  brother  and  Lady  H.  took  me  with 
them  to  town. 

Aug.  Iltli. — We  went  to  the  Bank  and  did  what  was 
thought  necessary. 

Aug.  12t/i. — I  went  with  Lady  H.  to  see  my  brother's 
portrait,  and  ordered  a  copy  for  myself. 

Aug.  25th. — 

Mem. — The  13th  we  came  home,  and  one  day  passes  like 


CHAP,  iv.j  Extracts  from  Diary.  131 

the  other.  I  have  much  to  do  and  can  do  but  little  beyond 
going  daily  to  my  brother,  and  often  we  are  both  unable  to 
look  about  business.  The  present  hot  weather  bears  hard 
on  enfeebled  constitutions.  Thermometer  most  days  above 
80  degrees. 

Oct.  15th. — I  went  to  my  brother,  his  family  being  in  town. 

Oct.  29th. — I  returned  to  my  home. 

A  small  slip  of  yellow  paper,  containing  the  follow- 
ing lines,  traced  by  a  tremulously  feeble  hand,  belongs 
to  this  year  : — 

"  LINA, — There  is  a  great  comet.  I  want  you  to  assist 
me.  Come  to  dine  and  spend  the  day  here.  If  you  can 
come  soon  after  one  o'clock  we  shall  have  time  to  prepare 
maps  and  telescopes.  I  saw  its  situation  last  night — it  has 
a  long  tail." 

July  4th,  1819. 

Then  follows : — 

"  I  keep  this  as  a  relic  !  Every  line  now  traced  by  the 
hand  of  my  dear  brother  becomes  a  treasure  to  me. 

"  C.  HERSCHEL." 

The  next  year  opens,  as  so  many  previous  ones  have 
done.  The  bare  facts  of  the  steadily  narrowing  life 
being  set  down  with  the  same  brevity  and  unswerving 
attention  to  the  one  object.  The  family  was  in  much 
anxiety  on  account  of  the  failing  health  of  Mrs.  Beck- 
with,  the  niece  of  Lady  Herschel,  of  whom,  as  Miss 
Baldwin,  frequent  mention  has  been  made.  The  spring 
and  summer  were  passed  in  taking  the  sufferer  to  dif- 

E  2 


132  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.         [1819-1821. 

ferent  places  in  the  country,  but  she  was  sinking  in  a 
rapid  decline,  and  died  in  the  autumn. 

Nov.  Wth. — The  remains  of  Mrs.  Beckwith  were 
brought  to  Upton  to  be  buried,  and  to  me  was  left  the 
melancholy  task  of  keeping  up  my  poor  brother's  spirits  on 
such  a  melancholy  occasion,  when  at  the  same  time  my 
own  were  at  their  lowest  ebb,  and  being  besides  much 
molested  about  this  time  by  the  rejoicing  of  an  unruly 
mob  at  the  acquittal  (as  they  called  it)  of  the  Princess  of 
Wales. 

From  the  26th  to  29th  I  was  with  my  brother. 

March. — We  lost  our  brother  Alexander,  who  died  at 

Hanover.* 

***** 

May  22nd. — Again  with  my  brother.  My  chief  care  was 
to  see  that  my  brother  was  not  fatigued  by  too  many  visitors, 
and  reading  to  him  to  prevent  his  sleeping  too  much. 

***** 

The  volume  ends  in  October : — 1821. 

"  Here   closed  my  Day-book,   for  one  day  passed  like 

*  The  following  notice  is  from  a  Bristol  paper  : 

"Died,  March  15th,1821,  atHanover,  Alexander  Herschel,  Esq.,  well-known 
to  the  public  of  Bath  and  Bristol  as  a  performer  and  elegant  musician  ;  and, 
who  for  forty-seven  years  was  the  admiration  of  the  frequenters  of  concerts  and 
theatres  of  both  those  cities,  as  principal  violoncello. 

"To  the  extraordinary  merits  of  Mr.  Herschel  was  united  considerable  ac- 
quirement in  the  superior  branches  of  mechanics  and  philosophy,  and  his 
affinity  to  his  brother,  Sir  William  Herschel,  the  illustrous  astronomer,  was 
not  less  in  science  than  blood.  To  a  large  circle  of  professional  friends  the 
uniform  gentlemanly  manners  of  Mr.  Herschel  have  rendered  him  at  once  an 
object  of  their  wannest  regard  and  respect."  Alexander  Herschel  returned  to 
Hanover  in  September,  1816,  and  was  enabled  to  live  in  comfortable  inde- 
pendence until  his  death  at  the  age  of  seventy-six,  through  the  never  failing, 
generosity  of  his  elder  brother. 


CHAP,  iv.]    Death  of  Sir  William  Herschel.  133 

another,  except  that  I,  from  my  daily  calls,  returned  to  my 
solitary  and  cheerless  home  with  increased  anxiety  for  each 
following  day." 

On  the  25th  of  August,  1822,  Sir  William  Herschel 
died  in  his  house  at  Slough. 

A  small  book,  containing  a  very  few  pages,  entitled 
"  Memorandum  from  1823  to,"  &c.,  gives  the  sad 
history  of  the  last  days  of  that  long  life  of  indefatig- 
able toil  over  which  the  devoted  sister  had  watched  so 
long  with  untiring  love.  It  would  be  easy,  and  per- 
haps in  some  respects  preferable,-  to  tell  the  story 
without  the  details,  but  it  would  be  at  the  cost  of 
much  that  is  characteristic  and  illustrative  of  the 
nature  which  has  thus  far  been  unfolded  from  within, 
and  it  is  the  last  chapter  of  her  life  which  she  thought 
worth  recalling  to  memory  and  committing  to  paper. 
The  terrible  blow  of  the  death  of  her  brother  seems 
to  have  deprived  her  of  all  power  or  desire  to  do  or  to 
will  anything  beyond  the  one  stern,  dogged  resolve  to 
leave  England  for  ever  as  soon  as  the  beloved  remains 
were  buried  from  her  sight.  Six  months  after  her 
return  to  Hanover  she  thus  prefaced  this  last  and  most 
pathetic  of  her  Recollections : — 

HANOVER,  April  15th,  1823. 

"Eighteen  months  have  elapsed  since  I  could  acquire 
fortitude  enough  for  noting  down  in  my  Day-book  any  of 
those  heartrending  occurrences  I  witnessed  during  the 
last  nine  months  of  the  fifty  years  I  have  lived  in  England, 
and  I  cannot  hope  that  ever  a  time  will  come  when  I  shall 
be  able  to  dwell  on  any  one  of  those  interesting  but  melan- 


134  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1822. 

choly  hours  I  spent  with  the  dearest  and  best  of  brothers. 
But  if  I  was  to  leave  off  making  memorandums  of  such 
events  as  either  affect  or  are  interesting  to  me,  I  should 
feel  like  what  I  am,  viz.,  a  person  that  has  nothing  more  to- 
do  in  this  world. 

"But  to  regain  the  thread  of  my  narration,  it  is  necessary 
to  take  notice  of  the  vacancy  between  the  present  date  and 
the  ending  of  the  year  1821,  and  the  only  way  in  which  I 
can  possibly  fill  up  this  vacancy  must  be  to  take  a  few  dates 
with  memorandums  marked  in  my  almanac  and  account 
books  for  the  year  1822,  without  making  any  comments  on 
what  my  feelings  and  situation  must  have  been  throughout 
that  whole  interval. 

"By  some  letters  I  wrote  during  the  first  four  months  of 
1822  to  my  brother  here  at  Hanover,  I  [see  that  I  was 
employed  in  copying  from  the  Philosophical  Transactions 
the  first  twelve  papers  of  my  brother's  publications.  The 
time  required  for  this  purpose  I  could  only  obtain  by 
making  use  of  most  of  the  hours  which  are  generally 
allotted  to  rest,  as  during  the  day  my  time  was  spent  in 
endeavours  to  support  my  dear  brother  in  his  painful 
decline.  And  besides,  the  hope  that  we  might  continue  yet 
a  little  longer  together  began  to  forsake  me,  for  my  own 
health  and  spirits  were  in  that  state  that  I  was  in  daily 
expectation  of  going  before.*  Therefore  each  moment  of 
separation  from  my  dear  brother  I  spent  in  endeavours  to 
arrange  my  affairs  so  that  my  nephew,  J.  Herschel,  as  the 
executor  of  my  will,  might  have  as  little  trouble  as  possible. 

*  Although  Miss  Herschel  was  endowed  by  nature  with  a  fine  healthy  con- 
stitution, she  suffered  much  in  various  ways  during  the  last  twenty-five  years- 
of  her  life  ;  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  her  health  was  injured,  to  a  consi- 
derable extent,  by  the  excessive  fatigue  and  serious  accidents  to  which  she  was 
exposed  in  her  earlier  days,  when  she  often  denied  herself  rest  that  was  impe- 
ratively needed,  in  order  to  be  at  hand  when  her  brother  required  her 
services. 


CHAP,  iv.]   Recollections  written  at  Hanover.  135 

[A  letter  of  eighteen  pages  would  have  been  found  along 
with  a  will,  if  I  had  (as  I  then  daily  expected)  died  before  my 
brother.  After  the  sad  events  of  the  succeeding  two  years, 
I  thought  it  necessary  to  destroy  both  the  will  and  the 
letter.]  My  thoughts  were  continually  divided  between  my 
brother's  library,  from  Avhich  I  was  now  on  the  point  of  being 
severed  for  ever,  and  my  own  unfinished  work  at  home 
endeavouring  to  bring  by  degrees  all  into  its  proper  place." 

DIARY — (continued) . 

May  13th. — Lady  Herschel  and  my  nephew  went  to  town : 
I  was  left  with  my  brother  alone,  but  was  counting  every 
hour  till  I  should  see  them  again,  for  I  was  momentarily 
afraid  of  his  dying  in  their  absence. 

May  20$.  *  *  *  * 

The  summer  proved  very  hot ;  my  brother's  feeble  nerves 
were  very  much  affected,  and  there  being  in  general  much 
company,  added  to  the  difficulty  of  choosing  the  most  airy 
rooms  for  his  retirement. 

July  8th. — I  had  a  dawn  of  hope  that  my  brother  might 
regain  once  more  a  little  strength,  for  I  have  a  memo- 
randum in  my  almanac  of  his  walking  with  a  firmer  step 
than  usual  above  three  or  four  times  the  distance  from  the 
dwelling-house  to  the  library,  in  order  to  gather  and  eat 
raspberries,  in  his  garden,  with  me.  But  I  never  saw  the 
like  again. 

The  latter  end  of  July  I  was  seized  by  a  bilious  fever, 
and  I  could  for  several  days  only  rise  for  a  few  hours  to  go 
to  my  brother  about  the  time  he  was  used  to  see  me.  But 
one  day  I  was  entirely  confined  to  my  bed,  which  alarmed 
Lady  Herschel  and  the  family  on  my  brother's  account. 
Miss  Baldwin*  called  and  found  me  in  despair  about  my 
own  confused  affairs,  which  I  never  had  had  time  to  bring 

*  A  younger  sister  of  Mrs.  Beckwith,  niece  of  Lady  Herschel. 


136  Caroline  L^lcretia,  Herschel.        [1822-1823. 

into  any  order.  The  next  day  she  brought  my  nephew  to 
me,  who  promised  to  fulfil  all  my  wishes  which  I  should 
have  expressed  on  paper ;  he  begged  me  not  to  exert  myself 
for  his  father's  sake,  of  whom  he  believed  it  would  be  the 

immediate  death  if  anything  should  happen  to  me * 

Of  my  dear  nephew's  advice  I  could  not  avail  myself,  for  I 
knew  that  at  that  time  he  had  weighty  concerns  on  his  mind. 
And,  besides,  my  whole  life  almost  has  passed  awa}r  in  the 
delusion  that  next  to  my  eldest  brother,  none  but  Dietrich 
was  capable  of  giving  me  advice  where  to  leave  my  few  relics, 
consisting  of  a  few  books  and  my  sweeper.  And  for  the 
last  twenty  years  I  kept  to  the  resolution  of  never  opening 
my  lips  to  my  dear  brother  William  about  worldly  or 
serious  concerns,  let  me  be  ever  so  much  at  a  loss  for 
knowing  right  from  wrong.  And  so  it  has  happened  that  at 
the  time  when  I  was  stupefied  by  grief  at  seeing  the  death 
of  my  dear  brother,  I  gave  myself,  Avith  all  I  was  worth,  up 
to  my  brother  Dietrich  and  his  family,  and  from  that  time 
till  the  death  of  D.  I  found  great  difficulty  to  remain 
mistress  of  my  own  actions  and  opinions.  In  respect  to  the 
latter  we  never  could  agree.  And  this  it  was  which 
prompted  me  to  send  Flamsteed's  works  to  Gottingen  (I 
would  rather  have  kept  them  till  now)  for  fear  they  might  be 
offered  for  sale.  Having  about  this  time  received  very  dis- 
tressing accounts  of  family  misfortunes  from  my  brother  at 
Hanover,  I  could  find  no  rest  on  his  account  till  I  should 
have  made  my  £500  stock  over  to  him,  but  this  required  my 
presence  at  the  bank,  and  I  could  not  think  of  leaving 
Slough  till  my  brother  should  be  engaged  for  some  days 
with  his  family  previous  to  the  departure  of  my  nephew, 
who  was  going  to  accompany  a  friend  abroad.  And  besides, 
I  knew  that  my  absence  would  then  be  scarcely  perceived, 

*  This  passage  is  a  later  note,  added  Sept.  26,  1828. 


CHAP,  iv.]    Recollections  written  at  Hanover.          137 

as  a  very  sensible  elderly  lady  (Mrs.  Monson)  would  be 
there  on  a  visit. 

Aug.  8th. — I  went,  and  at  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of 
the  10th  I  was  home  again.  My  nephew  had  left  Slough 
the  same  morning. 

I  found  my  brother  seated  by  the  ladies,  but  so  languid 
that  I  thought  it  necessary  to  take  a  seemingly  unconcerned 
leave  for  the  night. 

Aug.  Hth,  12£/i,  13^/i,  and  14th  I  went  as  usual  to  spend 
some  hours  of  the  forenoon  with  my  brother. 

Aug.  15th. — I  hastened  to  the  spot  where  I  was  wont 
to  find  him  with  the  newspaper  which  I  was  to  read  to  him. 
But  instead  I  found  Mrs.  Morson,  Miss  Baldwin,  and  Mr. 
Bulman,  from  Leeds,  the  grandson  of  my  brother's  earliest 
acquaintance  in  this  country.  I  was  informed  my  brother 
had  been  obliged  to  return  to  his  room,  whither  I  flew 
immediately.  Lady  H.  and  the  housekeeper  were  with  him, 
administering  everything  which  could  be  thought  of  for 
supporting  him.  I  found  him  much  irritated  at  not  being 
able  to  grant  Mr.  Bulman's  request  for  some  token  of 
remembrance  for  his  father.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me,  I 
was  sent  to  the  library  to  fetch  one  of  his  last  papers  and  a 
plate  of  the  forty-feet  telescope.  But  for  the  universe  I 
could  not  have  looked  twice  at  what  I  had  snatched  from  the 
shelf,  and  when  he  faintly  asked  if  the  breaking  up  of 
the  Milky  Way  was  in  it,  I  said  "  Yes,"  and  he  looked  con- 
tent. I  cannot  help  remembering  this  circumstance,  it 
was  the  last  time  I  was  sent  to  the  library  on  such  an 
occasion.  That  the  anxious  care  for  his  papers  and 
workrooms  never  ended  but  with  his  life  was  proved  by 
his  frequent  whispered  inquiries  if  they  were  locked  and  the 
key  safe,  of  which  I  took  care  to  assure  him  that  they  were, 
and  the  key  in  Lady  Herschel's  hands. 

After   half  an   hour's  vain  attempt  to  support  himself, 


138  .    Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1822. 

my  brother  was  obliged  to  consent  to  be  put  to  bed, 
leaving  no  hope  ever  to  see  him  rise  again.  For  ten 
days  and  nights  we  remained  in  the  most  heartrending 
situation  till  the  25th  of  August,  when  not  one  comfort  was 
left  to  me  but  that  of  retiring  to  the  chamber  of  death, 
there  to  ruminate  without  interruption  on  my  isolated 
situation.  Of  this  last  solace  I  was  robbed  on  the  7th 
September,  when  the  dear  remains  were  consigned  to  the 
grave. 

Sept.  9th. —  I  returned  to  my  house  and  began  select- 
ing the  books  and  clothing  I  should  want  to  take  with  me 
to  Hanover,  where  I  thought  it  best  to  go  with  the  Michael- 
mas messenger. 

Sept.  27th. — I  had  disposed  of  nry  furniture,  partly  by 
presents  and  partly  by  sale ;  and  after  settling  with  my 
landlord,  &c.,  I  left  my  house  for  Lady  Herschel's,  to  remain 
there  till  business  should  call  her  and  my  nephew  to  town. 

Oct.  3rd. — My  friends  as  well  as  myself  were  made  easy 
by  the  arrival  of  my  brother  Dietrich,  who  came  to  fetch 
me. 

Oct.  7th. — I  took  leave  of  Princess  Augusta  and  all  my 
friends  and  connections  in  Windsor. 

Oct.  Wth. — At  9  in  the  morning  I  left  Slough  with  my 
brother  D.  Lady  H.  and  my  nephew  followed  the  next 

day. 

***** 

Oct.  14th. — Princess  Sophia  Mathilda  sent  her  carriage 
for  me  to  spend  the  day  with  her  at  Blackheath. 

Oct.  16th. — I  went  with  my  brother  to  Mortlake  to  take 
leave  of  Baron  Best  and  family;  and  thence  we  directly 
proceeded  to  Bedford  Place,  where  all  my  friends  were  as- 
sembled, among  whom  I  had  the  comfort  of  seeing  once  more 
my  nephew's  friend,  and  the  favourite  of  my  dear  departed 
brother,  Mr.  Babbage.  He  had  only  that  day  arrived  from 


CHAP,  iv.]    Recollections  written  at  Hanover.          139 

the  North.  I  could  find  no  opportunity  for  any  conver- 
sation with  him,  but  just  by  a  pressure  of  the  hand 
recommended  my  nephew  in  incoherent  whispers  to  the 
continuance  of  his  regards  and  friendship. 

From  all  these  sorrowing  friends  and  connections  I  was 
obliged  to  take  an  everlasting  leave,  and  in  the  few  hours 
we  were  for  the  last  time  together,  I  was  obliged  to  sign 
many  papers,  among  which  was  a  receipt  for  a  half  year's 
legacy  I  signed  this  with  great  reluctance  ....  but  Lady 
H.  and  my  nephew  insisted  on  my  taking  it,  according  to  my 
brother's  will.  This  unexpected  sum  has  enabled  me  to 
furnish  myself  with  many  conveniences  on  my  arrival  here, 
of  which  otherwise  I  should  have  perhaps  debarred  myself. 

Oct.  17th. — In  the  morning  we  left  our  lodging  for  an 
inn  near  the  Tower.  Mr.  Beckwith  joined  us,  and  settled 
at  the  Custom  House  for  our  baggage.  My  nephew  came 
for  a  moment  to  us,  and  after  his  departure  I  saw  no  one 
I  knew  or  who  cared  for  me. 

Oct.  18th. — At  ten  o'clock  we  went  on  board  of  the  steam 
packet. 

Oct.  20th. — At  noon  we  landed  after  a  stormy  passage 
at  Rotterdam. 

Oct.  21st. — At  daybreak  we  began  to  proceed  on  our  way, 
and 

Oct.  28th. — We  arrived  at  the  habitation  of  my  brother, 
in  Hanover. 

A  note,  dated  September  29th,  1828,  apologizes  to 
her  nephew  for  troubling  him  with  the  above  and 
other  papers,  adding  :— 

I  have  destroyed  my  Day-book,  but  hi  doing  so  I  was 
tempted  to  extract  some  dates  which  I  thought  might  still 
be  interesting  to  me,  and  bring  the  past  once  more  to  my 


140  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscJicl.  [1822. 

recollection ;  but  as  that  would  only  be  a  drawback  to  the 
satisfaction  I  almost  daily  may  enjoy  by  hearing  of  the  fame 
of  my  dear  nephew,  it  is  best  to  remove  all  that  can  bring 
the  past  to  my  recollection. 

The  letters  which  follow  are  the  only  documents 
from  which  any  particulars  can  be  drawn  for  this  and 
many  following  years.  No  Day-book  or  note-book  of 
any  kind  appears  to  have  been  kept,  or  at  any  rate 
preserved,  from  the  time  of  the  return  to  Hanover 
in  October,  1822,  until  the  year  1833. 


CHAPTER  V. 

RETROSPECTION. 

As  we  close  the  record  of  Miss  Herschel's  residence 
in  England,  we  may  pause  for  a  moment  to  look  back 
over  the  space  she  had  traversed  while  following,  with 
unvarying  diligence  and  humility,  the  path  her  brother 
marked  out  for  her,  first  in  blessed  hourly  companion- 
ship, when  she  was  as  necessary  in  his  home  as  in  his 
library,  or  among  his  instruments ;  and  latterly,  when 
with  saddened  heart  but  unflagging  determination  she 
continued  to  work  for  him,  but  saw  his  domestic 
happiness  pass  into  other  keeping. 

While  they  toiled  together  through  those  first  ten 
years  of  ever-deepening  interest  and  marvellous  acti- 
vity, during  which  the  rapid  juxtaposition  of  mirror- 
grinding,  concerts,  oratorios,  music  lessons,*  and  fre- 
quent papers  written  for  philosophical  societies,  almost 
takes  the  breath  away  as  we  read, — the  brother  had 
"  abundant  opportunity  of  learning  how  far  he  could 
trust  to  his  companion's  readiness,  as  well  as  capability, 

*  At  this  time  W.  Herschel  frequently  gave-  thirty-five  and  thirty-eight 
lessons  a  week  to  lady  pupils. 


142  Caroline  Lucretia,  Herschel.  [1S22. 

to  accept  of  duties  as  utterly  remote  from  all  that  her 
previous  life  had  prepared  her  for  as  if  he  had  asked 
her  to  accompany  him  on  a  pilgrimage  to   Mecca. 
And  thus,  of  all  of  whom  he  had  made  trial,  it  was 
not  the  brilliant  Jacob,  nor  the  gifted  Alexander,  but 
the  little  quiet,  home-bred  Caroline,  of  whom  nothing 
had  been  expected  but  to  be  up  early  and  to  do  the 
work  of  the  house,  and  to  devote  her  leisure  to  knitting 
and  sewing,  in  whom  he  found  that  steady  devotion 
to  a  fixed  purpose   which   he   felt  it  was   possible 
to    link    with    his    own.      "I   did  nothing  for   my 
brother,"  she  said,  "  but  what  a  well-trained  puppy- 
dog  would  have  done :  that  is  to  say,  I  did  what  he 
commanded  me.     I  was  a  mere  tool  which  he  had  the 
trouble  of  sharpening."     Such  was  always  her  own 
modest  self-estimate.     It  is  hardly  too  much  to  say 
that,  to  have  worked  as  she  had  worked,  and  to  have 
done  all  that  she  had  accomplished,  and  to  claim  no 
more   than   the  credit  due  to  passive   obedience   to 
orders,  is  a  depth  of  humility  of  that  rare  and  noble 
kind  which  is  in  itself  a  form  of  greatness.      It  must 
not  be  forgotten,   that  the    progress   of  astronomical 
science  since  Sir  William  Herschel's  great   reflector 
startled   the   world,  has   not   been   greater  than  has 
been   the    change,  both  in  opinion  and  practice,  on 
the   subject  of  female   employments  and   education. 
The   appointment    of    a    young    woman   as   an    as- 
sistant   astronomer,    with    a  regular  salary   for   her 


CHAP,  v.]  Retrospection.  143 

services,  was  an  unprecedented  occurrence  in  England. 
She  had  watched  and  shared  in  every  effort  and 
every  failure  from  the  first  seven-foot  telescope  to 
the  construction  of  the  ponderous  machinery  that 
was  to  support  the  mighty  tube  of  which  she  herself 
made  the  first  crude  model  in  pasteboard.  When, 
finally,  her  brother  was  summoned  to  the  King,  and 
wrote  to  tell  her  how  he  fared  at  Court,  she  accepted 
the  decision,  by  which  he  exchanged  a  handsome  in- 
come for  the  sake  of  obtaining  the  command  of  his  own 
time,  and  £200  a-year  from  his  gracious  sovereign, 
with  only  a  passing  expression  of  regret  from  the 
housekeeper's  point  of  view,  and  threw  herself  heart 
and  soul  into  the  new  life  at  Datchet.  One  all-sufficing 
reward  sweetened  her  labours — "  I  had  the  comfort  to 
see  that  my  brother  was  satisfied  with  my  endeavours 
in  assisting  him."  When  the  dignity  of  original 
discovery  gave  her  a  distinct  and  separate  claim  to 
the  respect  of  the  astronomical  world,  she  must 
have  found  out  that  she  was  something  better 
than  a  mere  tool.  The  requisite  knowledge  of 
algebra  and  mathematical  formulae  for  calculations  and 
reductions  she  had  to  gather  when  and  how  she  could  : 
chiefly  at  breakfast,  and  at  any  odd  moments  when 
her  brother  could  be  asked  questions,  and  the  answers 
were  carefully  entered  in  her  Commonplace  Book, 
where  examples  of  taking  equal  altitudes,  and  how  to 
convert  sidereal  time  into  mean  time,  follow  upon 


144  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1822. 

pages  of  problems,  oblique  plain  triangles,  right-angled 
spherical  triangles,  how  to  find  the  logarithm  of  a  num- 
ber given,  and  theorems  for  making  tables  of  motion. 
With  this  slender  store  of  attainment  she  accomplished 
a  vast  amount  of  valuable  work,  besides  the  regular 
duties  of  assistant  to  so  indefatigable  an  observer  as 
Sir  William  Herschel.  He  was  invariably  accustomed 
to  carry  on  his  telescopic  observations  till  daybreak, 
circumstances  permitting,  without  any  regard  to  season ; 
it  was  the  business  of  his  assistant  to  note  the  clocks 
and  to  write  down  the  observations  from  his  dicta- 
tion as  they  were  made.  Subsequently  she  assisted  in 
the  laborious  numerical  calculations  and  reductions,  so 
that  it  was  only  during  his  absences  from  home,  or 
when  any  other  interruption  of  his  regular  course  of 
observation  occurred,  that  she  was  able  to  devote 
herself  to  the  Newtonian  sweeper,  which  she  used 
to  such  good  purpose.  Besides  the  eight  comets  by 
her  discovered,  she  detected  several  remarkable 
nebulae  and  clusters  of  stars  previously  unnoticed, 
especially  the  superb  nebula  known  as  No.  1, 
Class  V.,  in  Sir  William  Herschel's  Catalogue.  Long 
practice  taught  her  to  make  light  of  her  work. 
"An  observer  at  your  twenty-foot  when  sweeping," 
she  wrote  many  years  after,  "wants  nothing 
but  a  being  who  can  and  will  execute  his  com- 
mands with  the  quickness  of  lightning ;  for  you  will 
have  seen  that  in  many  sweeps  six  or  twice  six  objects 


CHAP,  v.]  Retrospection.  145 

have  been  secured  and    described  in  one  minute  of 
time." 

The  ten  years  from  1788  to  1798,  although  a  blank 
as  regards  her  personal  history  —  the  Recollections 
cease  with  her  brother's  marriage — were  among  the 
busiest  of  her  life,  and  in  the  year  last  men- 
tioned the  Royal  Society  published  two  of  her  works, 
namely,  "A  Catalogue  of  860  Stars  observed  by 
Flamsteed,  but  not  included  in  the  British  Cata- 
logue," and  "  A  General  Index  of  Reference  to  every 
Observation  of  every  Star  in  the  above-mentioned 
British  Catalogue."  It  is  in  reference  to  these  that 
she  wrote  the  very  interesting  letter  to  the  Astronomer 
Royal,  which  is  given  among  others,  in  its  place,  in 
the  Journal.  But  another  work,  which  was  not 
published,  was  the  most  valuable,  as  it  was  the  most 
laborious  of  all  her  undertakings.  This  was  "  The 
Reduction  and  Arrangement  in  the  form  of  a  Cata- 
logue, in  Zones,  of  all  the  Star-clusters  and  Nebulae 
observed  by  Sir  W.  Herschel  in  his  Sweeps."  It  sup- 
plied the  needful  data  for  Sir  John  Herschel  when  he 
undertook  the  review  of  the  nebulae  of  the  northern 
hemisphere ;  and  it  was  for  this  that  the  Gold  Medal 
of  the  Royal  Astronomical  Society  was  voted  to  her 
in  1828,  followed  by  the  extraordinary  distinction  of 
an  Honorary  Membership.  This  Catalogue  was  not 
completed  until  after  her  return  to  Hanover,  and  Sir 
David  Brewster  wrote  of  it  as  "  a  work  of  immense 


146  Caroline  Lucretia  HerschcL  11222. 

labour,"  and  "  an  extraordinary  monument  of  the 
unextinguished  ardour  of  a  lady  of  seventy-five  in 
the  cause  of  abstract  science." 

Although  the  Recollections  cease  in  1788,  there 
are  some  volumes  recording  the  nature  and  results 
of  her  nightly  "  sweepings,"  which  Miss  Herschel 
kept  very  regularly,  and,  as  an  unique  example  of 
a  lady's  journal,  a  few  of  the  entries  may  be  of  in- 
terest. 

1788.  Sept.  9th. — My  brother  showed  me  the  five  satel- 
lites of  Saturn.  He  made  me  take  notice  of  a  star,  which 

made  a  double  star  last  night  with  the  fifth  satellite. 

***** 

DcC.  8th. — I  swept  for  a  comet  which  was  announced 
in  the  papers  as  having  been  discovered  the  26th  of  Novem- 
ber by  Mr.  Messier.  According  to  the  observations  of  that 
date,  it  should  have  been  within  a  few  degrees  of  the 
Pole  star  (by  my  brother's  calculation),  but  though  I  swept 
with  great  attention  a  space  of  at  least  ten  or  twelve 
degrees  all  around  the  pole  over  repeatedly,  I  could  find 
nothing. 

Another  night  of  unavailing  search,  with  thermometer 
20°.* 

1790.  Jan.  7th. — I  have  swept  all  this  evening  for  my 
[third]  comet  in  vain.     My  brother  showed  me  the  G.  Sidus 
in  the  twenty-foot  telescope,  and  I  saw  both  its  satellites 
very  plainly. 

1791.  Aug.  2nd. — I  began  to  sweep  at  1.30,  from  the 

*  It  was  not  an  unknown  circumstance  for  the  ink  to  freeze  while  she  was 
attending  to  take  down  her  brother's  observations. 


CHAP,  v.]  Her  Sweepings.  147 

horizon  through  the  Pleiades  up  as  high  as  the  head  of 
Medusa.  Left  off  with  /3  Tauri.  Afterwards  I  continued 
with  horizontal  sweeps  till  daylight  was  too  strong  for  see- 
ing any  longer. 

1792.  May  3rd. — My  brother  having  desired  me  by  way 
of  practice  to  settle  the  stars  a  Persei  and  Castor,  and  a  Vir- 
ginis,  by  some  neighbouring  stars  in  Wollaston's  Catalogue, 
I  made  last  night  an  attempt  to  take  their  places.  The 
moon  was  near  the  full,  therefore  no  sweeping  could  be 
done. 

1795.  May  1st. — Mem.  In  the  future  when  any  great 
chasms  appear  in  my  journals,  it  may  be  understood  that 
sweeping  for  comets  has  not  been  neglected  at  every  op- 
portunity which  did  offer  itself.  But  as  I  always  do 
sweep  according  to  the  precept  my  brother  has  given  me, 
and  as  I  often  am  in  want  of  time,  I  think  it  is  very  im- 
material if  the  places  where  I  have  seen  nothing  are  noted 
down. 

Nov.  7th.— 0.40  sidereal  time.  About  an  hour  ago  I 
saw  the  comet  [seventh]  which  is  marked  in  the  annexed 
field  of  view  [diagrams  drawn  with  extreme  neatness  illus- 
trate the  entries  when  necessary].  When  I  perceived  it 
first  the  two  small  stars  were  entirely  covered  by  it,  and  it 
appeared  to  be  a  cluster  of  stars  mixed  with  nebulosity ; 
but  not  knowing  of  such  an  object  in  that  place,  I  kept 
watching  it,  and  perceived  it  to  be  a  comet  by  its  having 
moved  from  the  two  small  stars,  so  as  to  leave  them  en- 
tirely free  from  haziness. 

1797.  Aug.  14th. — C.  H.'s  comet.  At  9.30  common 
time,  being  dark  enough  for  sweeping,  I  began  in  the  usual 
manner  with  looking  over  the  heavens  with  the  naked  eye, 
and  immediately  saw  a  comet  nearly  as  bright  as  that  which 
was  discovered  by  Mr.  Gregor}r,  January  8,  1793.  I  went 
down  from  the  observatory  to  call  my  brother  Alexander, 

L  2 


148  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [1822. 

that  he  might  assist  me  at  the  clock.  In  my  way  into  the 
garden  I  was  met  and  detained  by  Lord  S.  and  another 
gentleman,  who  came  to  see  my  brother  and  his  telescopes. 
By  way  of  preventing  too  long  an  interruption,  I  told  the 
gentlemen  that  I  had  just  found  a  cornet,  and  wanted  to 
settle  its  place.  I  pointed  it  out  to  them,  and  after  having 
seen  it  they  took  their  leave. 

These  entries  were  continued  with  great  regularity 
to  the  year  1819,  at  which  time,  as  the  Diary  shows, 
Sir  William's  increasing  feebleness  made  her  close 
daily  attendance  more  necessary,  and  her  pen  was  in 
greater  request  than  the  "  sweeper."  The  last  volume 
concludes  with  a  carefully  drawn  eye-draft  of  the 
situation  of  a  comet  visible  at  Hanover,  January  31st, 
1824.  Thenceforth  the  instrument  which  had  done 
such  good  service  in  her  hands  for  forty  years  of 
steady  work,  became  the  chief  ornament  of  her  sitting- 
room,  until  her  disquieting  fears  for  its  ultimate  fate 
led  her  to  send  it  back  to  England. 

Sad  as  is  the  story  of  those  last  years  of  declining 
old  age,  while  the  beloved  brother  lived  we  know  that 
his  sister's  life  was  full  of  occupation.  It  is  not  until 
the  cruel  hour  comes,  and  she  knows  that  death  and  the 

grave  will  soon  claim  him,  that  she  allows  the  sense  of 
o 

her  own  bitter  desolation  to  find  expression.  When  all 
was  over,  her  only  desire  seems  to  have  been  to  hurry 
away.  Hardly  was  he  laid  in  his  grave  than  she  col- 
lected the  few  things  she  cared  to  keep,  and  left  for 
ever  the  country  where  she  had  spent  fifty  years  of  her 


CHAP,  v.]  Retrospection.  149 

life,  living  and  toiling  for  him  and  him  only.  "  If  I 
should  leave  off  making  memorandums  oi  such  events 
as  affect,  or  are  interesting  to  me,  I  should  feel  like — 
what  I  am,  namely,  a  person  that  has  nothing  more 
to  do  in  this  world."  Mournful  words  :  doubly  mourn- 
ful when  we  know  that  the  writer  had  nearly  half  an 
ordinary  lifetime  still  between  her  and  that  grave  which 
she  made  haste  to  prepare,  in  the  hope  that  her  course 
was  nearly  run.  Who  can  think  of  her,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two,  heart-broken  and  desolate,  going  back  to 
the  home  of  her  youth  in  the  fond  expectation  of  find- 
ing consolation,  without  a  pang  of  sympathetic  pity  ? 
She  found  everything  changed.  In  addition  to  those 
changes,  for  which  she  might  have  been  in  some  measure 
prepared,  there  were  others  of  a  kind  to  admit  of  neither 
cure  nor  alleviation.  The  life  she  had  led  for  fifty 
years  had  removed  her,  she  little  guessed  how  much, 
from  the  old  familiar  paths  :  her  thoughts,  her  habits, 
all  her  ideas  had  been  formed  and  moulded  in  a  totally 
different  world :  more  bitter  still,  she  found  herself 
alone  in  her  great  sorrow  and  quenchless  love ;  pride 
in  the  distinction  reflected  on  themselves  from  rela- 
tionship to  the  illustrious  astronomer  was  a  miser- 
able substitute  for  the  reverential  affection  she  had 
looked  to  find  for  one  of  the  kindest  and  most  generous 
of  brothers.  But  the  bitterest  suffering  of  all  was 
from  a  source  which  was,  and  ever  remained,  beyond 
the  reach  of  help.  "  You  don't  know,"  wrote  one  of 


150  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1822. 

Miss  Edgeworth's  sisters,  "the  blank  of  life  after 
having  lived  within  the  radiance  of  genius ; "  and 
this  was  the  blank  in  which  Miss  Herschel  doomed 
herself  not  only  to  live,  but  to  try  to  begin  anew, 
when  past  three  score  and  ten.  The  extracts  from 
her  letters  bear  strong  testimony  to  the  gallant  struggle 
she  made  to  find  interests  and  occupations  in  what 
those  about  her,  as  well  as  she  herself,  looked  upon  as 
a  kind  of  exile,  and  "Why  did  I  leave  happy  Eng- 
land ? "  was  often  her  cry,  more  especially  as  time 
went  on,  and  interest  in  her  nephew  and  his  family 
came  mercifully  to  fill  the  heart  still  so  yearning  and 
ready  for  affection.  When  she  heard  the  news  of  Sir 
John  Herschel's  intended  departure  for  the  Cape,  she 
wrote,  "  Ja !  if  I  was  thirty  or  forty  years  junger  and 
could  go  too  ?  in  Gottes  nahmen ! "  her  interest  in 
the  science  to  which  she  had  devoted  her  best  years 
never  ceased,  though  she  persisted  to  the  end  in  ridi- 
culing the  bare  suggestion  that  the  Rosse  telescope 
could  by  any  possibility  be  so  good  as  the,  forty-foot. 
The  homage  paid  to  her  as  a  savante  amused  as  well 
as  gratified  her.  "  You  must  give  me  leave  to  send 
you  any  publication  you  can  think  of,"  she  wrote  to 
her  nephew,  "without  mentioning  anything  about 
paying  for  them.  For  it  is  necessary  I  should  every 
now  and  then  lay  out  a  little  of  my  spare  cash  in 
that  for  the  sake  of  supporting  the  reputation  of  being 
a  learned  lady  (there  is  for  you !),  for  I  am  not  only 


CHAP,  v.]  Retrospection.  151 

looked  at  for  such  a  one,  but  even  stared  at  here  in 
Hanover!"  Her  deprecation  of  the  membership  of 
the  Irish  Academy,  conferred  on  one  who  for  so 
many  years  had  "  not  even  discovered  a  comet,"  was 
thoroughly  sincere  as  well  as  characteristic,  but  she 
found  pleasure  in  receiving  the  homage  which  was 
naturally  paid  to  her;  no  man  of  any  scientific 
eminence  passed  through  Hanover  without  visiting 
her ;  *  and  it  became  a  matter  of  public  concern  to 
note  the  presence  of  the  well-known  tiny  figure  at  the 
Theatre,  where  her  constant  appearance  in  extreme 
old  age  was  in  itself  a  marvel.  The  frugal  simplicity 
of  her  habits  made  it  a  positive  perplexity  to  dispose 
of  her  income ;  she  protested  that  £50  a-year  was  all 
she  could  manage  to  spend  on  herself,  and  she  per- 
tinaciously resisted  receiving  the  pension  of  £100 
per  annum  left  to"  her  by  her  brother,  often  de- 
voting the  quarterly  or  half-yearly  payment  to  the 
purchase  of  some  handsome  present  for  her  nephew  or 
niece.  She  wrote  full  instructions  and  made  the 
most  careful  arrangements  for  every  detail  of  business 
in  connection  with  her  own  burial  and  the  disposal  of 
her  property — that  is  of  the  little  she  reserved,  for  her 
generosity  towards  her  relations  was  as  great  as  the 
expenditure  on  herself  was  small. 

In  these  last  remarks  I  have  anticipated  events,  and 

*  From  the  Royal  Family  she  received  the  most  kind  and  graceful  at- 
tentions. 


152  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1822. 

must  now  return  to  the  year  1822,  when  the  corre- 
spondence begins. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

ROTTERDAM,  Monday,  Oct.  21,  1822. 
DEAE  LADY  HERSCHEL, — 

At  this  present  moment  I  have  nothing  to  wish  for, 
besides  the  means  of  convincing  myself  by  one  look  of  your 
and  my  dear  nephew's  health.  After  a  very  troublesome 
passage  of  forty-eight  hours,  we  find  ourselves  almost  re- 
stored to  our  former  condition  and  composure,  with  only  the 
difference  that  we  have  no  more  hunting  after  our  trunks 
from  Custom-house  to  Custom-house,  and  can  proceed  on 
our  way  to  Hanover  in  peace  after  one  night's  rest  here  in 
a  very  good  inn.  But  the  last  night  was  truly  dismal,  for 
the  sailors  themselves  confessed  that  it  was  what  is  called  a 
high  sea.  At  one  time  a  spray  conveyed  a  bucket-full  of 
water  into  my  bed,  which  was  regarded  as  nothing  in  com- 
parison to  the  evils  with  which  I  was  surrounded.  I  was 
the  most  sick  of  all  on  board,  and  the  poor  old  lady  was 
pitied  by  all  who  enquired  after  her,  but  I  had  four  ladies 
in  the  same  cabin  with  me,  who  encouraged  me  to  hold  out, 
which  at  one  time  I  thought  would  have  been  impossible. 
Something  happened  to  the  vessel  for  want  of  a  good  pilot 
in  the  Thames,  and  at  Blackwall  we  laid  still  three  hours, 
then  we  hobbled  on  to  near  Gravesend,  and  there  lay  in  a 
high  sea  at  anchor  all  night,  whilst  they  were  hatching 
and  thumping  to  mend  the  vessel  we  were  to  go  in.  In 
consequence  of  this,  we  could  not  reach  the  spot  where  a 
pilot  could  meet  us  time  enough  on  Sunday  evening,  and 
lay  again  at  anchor.  At  half  past  eleven  I  set  foot  on 
shore,  where  so  many  people  were  assembled  to  gaze  on  us 
that  it  set  me  a  crying,  and  now  I  am  glad  to  be  shut  up 
once  more  in  a  room  by  myself  and  where  I  can  make  proper 


CHAP,  v.j  Journey  to  Hanover.  153 

preparations  for  travelling  further,  which  hitherto  I  have 
not  had  the  opportunity  of  doing.  All  my  clothes  which  I 
had  prepared  for  the  ship  or  sleeping  on  the  road  were 
locked  up  at  the  Custom-house,  and  I  could  not  get  hold  of 
them  again  till  we  entered  this  house.  So  much  for  our 
adventures  at  present,  and  I  beg  and  hope  you  will  soon  and 
often  let  us  know  how  you  are  with  my  nephew,  and  how 
and  where  you  can  pass  the  following  winter  months  in  the 
most  comfortable  way. 

My  brother  is  gone  into  the  street  to  look  about  him. 
The  weather  is  fine,  and  I  wish  my  dear  nephew  was  with 
him,  for  it  looks  very  tempting  and  new  all  about  me,  and  I 
think  he  would  enjoy  seeing  the  bustle  on  the  water  with 
which  this  house  is  surrounded.  My  brother  has  charged 
me  with  millions  of  compliments  and  thanks  to  yourself  and 
our  nephew,  but  I  cannot  afford  him  quite  so  many,  as  else 
there  would  be  no  room  for  all  those  I  owe  to  my  dear  Lady 
H.  and  my  nephew,  who  took  last  Friday  so  long  a  walk  to 
see  us  once  more.  My  fears  for  what  was  to  come  and 
regret  for  what  I  left  behind  were  so  stupifying  that  it  made 
me  almost  insensible  to  all  what  was  passing  about  me, 
only  this  I  shall  remember,  with  satisfaction,  that  his  looks 
were  better  than  I  have  seen  for  a  long  time  past. 

I  am  now  going  to  direct  the  little  parcel  for  Professor 
Swinden,  and  likewise  to  Mr.  Crommelin,  jun.,  and  to 
Professor  Moll,  at  Utrecht,  and  Gauss  will  not  be  forgotten 
as  we  go  along. 

I  beg  you  will  remember  me  to  Miss  Baldwin  (who  I 
hope  is  with  you),  and  particularly  to  Mr.  Beckwith,  whom 
I  shall  never  be  able  to  thank  sufficiently  for  the  friendly  care 
he  has  shown  to  me  on  all,  and  especially  on  the  last 
occasion  of  helping  me  on  with  my  packages. 

Farewell,  my  dear  Lady  Herschel,  and  let  me  hear  soon 
that  you  and  my  nephew  are  well. 


154  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1822. 

Miss  Baldwin  will  write,  and  of  course  she  will  inform  me 
of  her  own  and  all  friends'  health,  &c. 

Ever  your  affectionate 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVEB,  Oct.  30,  1822. 

MY  DEAR  LADY  HERSCHEL, — 

We  arrived  here  at  noon,  on  the  28th,  without  the 
least  accident,  but  not  without  the  utmost  exertion  and 
extreme  fatigue  to  both  my  brother  and  myself,  from  which 
it  will  be  some  time  before  I  shall  get  the  better,  on  account 
of  the  many  visits  of  our  friends,  who  come  to  convince 
themselves  of  our  safe  arrival,  of  which  I  hope  you  will 
have  been  informed  long  before  this  can  reach  you,  as  Mr. 
Quintain  has  promised  me  to  send  you  a  line  the  moment 
he  reaches  London.  He  left  Hanover  yesterday.  I  had 
wrote  a  letter  in  hopes  he  would  have  taken  it,  but  that 
was  impossible,  and  the  post  from  here  has  been  changed 
from  Tuesday  to  Monda}r. 

Mr.  Housman  called  also  here  yesterday,  and  you  may 
easily  imagine  that  many  inquiries  are  made  after  you  and 
my  dear  nepheAv  by  all  those  who  come  near  me,  -and  I 
hope  you  will  soon  enable  me,  by  a  few  lines,  to  inform 
them  of  your  welfare  and  health,  and  give  me  the  comfort 
to  know  that  you  have  regained  some  of  your  former  com- 
posure, after  the  late  melancholy  change  and  unsettled 
state  in  which  we  all  were  involved. 

I  found  Mrs.  H.  in  personal  appearance  so  different  from 
what  I  had  imagined,  that  I  can  hardly  believe  her  to  be  the 
same  ;  she  is  just  sixty-three  years  of  age,  and  suffers  much 
from  rheumatism,  which  has  taken  away  partially  the  use 
of  her  hands,  but  she  is  still  of  so  cheerful  a  disposition 
and  so  active  by  way  of  overcoming  disease  by  exercise, 


CHAP,  v.]  Arrival  in  Hanover.  155 

that  I  cannot  wonder  enough,  and  her  reception  of  me  was 
truly  gratifying ;  the  handsomest  rooms,  three  or  four  times 
larger  than  what  I  have  heen  used  to,  from  which  I  can 
step  in  her  own  apartments,  have  been  prepared  for  me 
and  furnished  in  the  most  elegant  style.  But  I  cannot  say 
that  I  feel  well  enough  to  enjoy  all  these  good  things  nor 
be  able  to  show  myself  to  those  who  wish  to  see  me,  at 
least  not  at  present. 

Mrs.  Beckedorff  sent  to  enquire  after  me  when  I  had  been 
hardly  two  hours  arrived.  Miss  B.  is  confined  with  a  severe 
cold.  My  brother  went  yesterday  to  see  them,  and  we  have 
postponed  our  meeting  till  Saturday,  when  she  will  come  to 
town  for  the  winter. 

From  Rotterdam  I  sent  a  letter  which  I  hope  }TOU  have 
received,  and  by  which  you  will  have  seen  that  our  passage 
was  not  of  the  most  agreeable  kind. 

The  papers  to  Professor  Van  Swinden,  Cronimelin  jun., 
at  Amsterdam,  and  Professor  Moll,  at  Utrecht,  have  been 
delivered,  but  that  to  Gauss,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  is  either 
lost  or  mislaid,  for  I  cannot  find  it  anywhere,  [and  I  am 
vexed  to  give  [my  dear  nephew  so  bad  a  sample  of  my 
willingness  to  be  of  use  to  him.  Perhaps  through  Mr. 
Quaintain  he  might  get  one  over  when  the  Duke  of  Cam- 
bridge returns,  else  the  next  conveyance  I  know  of  is  at 
Christmas,  by  Gotterman. 

I  beg  my  love  to  my  nephew  and  Miss  Baldwin,  who,  I 
hope,  will  soon  let  me  know  how  you  are,  &c. 
Believe  me, 

Your  truly  and  affectionate 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 


156  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1822. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Nov.  12,  1822. 

MY  DEAR  LADY  HERSCHEL, — 

I  hope  you  have  received  the  letter  which  I  sent  by 
the  first  post  which  went  from  here  after  my  arrival,  dated 
31st  October,  and  also  one  I  wrote  in  Rotterdam,  by  which 
you  will  have  seen  what  a  disagreeable  passage  we  had  at 
sea,  but  all  those  frights  and  fears,  and  the  troubles  and 
fatigues  of  the  journey  we  afterwards  experienced  by  land 
appear  now  to  have  been  nothing  but  a  dream,  and  my 
waking  thoughts  are  for  ever  wandering  back  to  the  scenes 
of  sorrows  which  embittered  the  afflicting  and  final  parting 
from  my  revered  brother.  If  I  could  but  be  assured  that 
you  and  my  dear  nephew  at  this  present  moment  were  in 
tolerable  health  and  otherwise  exempted  from  vexation,  I 
should  feel  myself  much  more  comfortable,  but  it  is  hard  to 
live  for  months  without  knowing  what  may  have  happened 
to  those  with  whom  one  has  been  for  so  many  years  imme- 
diately connected  and  in  the  habit  of  keeping  up  a  daily 
intercourse. 

I  have  hitherto  not  been  able  to  overcome  a  dislike  to 
going  abroad,  and  what  little  I  have  seen  of  Hanover  (in  my 
way  to  the  families  of  my  two  nieces  and  Mrs.  Beckedorff 
who  live  all  close  by)  I  do  not  like !  And  though  some 
streets  have  been  enlarged  (as  I  am  told),  they  appear  to  me 
much  less  than  I  left  them  fifty  years  ago.  But  a  total 
seclusion  from  society  will  not  do  for  a  continuance,  for  I 
will  not  be  ungrateful,  I  must  call  on  the  Delmerings,  &c., — 
who  have  been  here.  Mrs.  D.  is  grown  quite  fat  and  very 
handsome,  her  daughter  is  a  head  taller  and  a  very  pretty 
young  woman ;  the  eldest  son  is  already  in  the  service  with 
the  Erz  Herzog  of  Strelitz,  and  there  has  been  no  increase 
in  the  family  since  they  left  England.  Mrs.  D.  made  many 


CHAP,  v.]  Life  in  Hanover.  .157 

inquiries  after  you  and  my  nephew's  health,  and  gratefully 
remembers  the  kindly  treatment  she  received  at  all  times 
from  3rou. 

Nov.  18th. — Mrs.  Beckedorff  and  Miss  B.  and  myself 
have  been  laid  up  with  severe  colds,  and  I  am  still  unable 
to  go  into  company,  but  Mrs.  B.  sent  Dr.  Mury  to  make  her 
excuse  for  not  returning  my  visit.  The  first  time  I  went 
to  them,  Mrs.  B.  made  all  her  ten  grandchildren  stand  up 
before  me  according  to  their  ages,  and  a  fine  healthy  family 
it  is.  But  all  the  little  folks  I  am  introduced  to  are  disap- 
pointed at  finding  me  to  be  only  a  little  old  woman ;  which 
I  suppose  must  be  owing  to  having  been  told  the  Great  Aunt 
Caroline  from  England  was  coming. 

From  the  family  of  my  eldest  niece  I  have  seen  nothing 
as  yet,  and  probably  shall  not  before  next  summer,  as  her 
affairs  must  remain  for  some  time  in  an  unsettled  state.  I 
did  not  know  till  we  were  within  sight  of  Hanover  how 
greatly  I  was  obliged  to  my  brother  for  coming  to  fetch  me, 
for  I  find  he  was  but  barely  recovered  from  a  serious  illness 
when  he  left  home,  which  had  been  occasioned  by  travelling 
to  and  fro  to  his  daughter,  who  was  in  need  of  the  support 
of  both  her  parents  on  losing  her  |  husband  after  a  few 
days'  illness  ;  in  the  same  week  she  had  given  birth  to  a  son, 
and  was  made -a  widow  with  nine  children  in  her  38th  year. 
But,  happily,  she  is  blessed  with  an  uncommon  share  of 
understanding  and  fortitude,  besides  the  means  of  seeing 
them  well  educated  and  improving  their  fortunes. 

Nov.  27f/i. — You  will  see,  my  dear  Lady  H.,  by  the 
above,  that  at  different  times  I  have  been  employed  in 
giving  a  circumstantial  account  of  all  what  concerns  that 
part  of  my  family  amongst  whom  I  came  to  end  my  days ; 
but  I  would  not  conclude,  nor  send  off  my  letter,  till  1 
should  have  received  some  satisfactory  account  of  your  well 
being,  and  the  arrival  of  the  last  post  has  given  a  most 


158  Caroline  Liicretia,  Herschel.  [1822. 

agreeable  turn  to  the  dismal  impression  the  parting  scenes 
of  the  17th  and  18th  October  had  left  on  my  mind.  To 
Miss  Baldwin  I  feel  greatly  obliged  for  her  comforting  letter, 
and  hope  she  will  be  able  to  write  me  many  more  equally 
consoling ;  my  brother  is  going  to  speak  for  himself,  and  if 
I  would  leave  a  little  room  for  a  few  words  to  my  nephew,  I 
must  conclude  with  saying  that  I  am 

My  dear  Lady  Herschel's 

Most  obliged  and  affectionate, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

MY  DEAR  NEPHEW, — I  thank  you  for  the  few  lines  in  the 
P.S.,  for  by  them  I  see  you  were  thinking  of  me  when  you 
procured  some  indexes  to  Flamsteed's  obs.  But  I  will  not 
trouble  you  to  send  any ;  I  only  wished  you  to  have  some 
for  your  own  friends,  Mr.  South,  Major  Kater,  &c.,  for  as 
they  were  not  members  of  the  R.  Society  at  the  time  of 
publication,  they  may  perhaps  not  be  possessed  of  that 
necessary  Appendix. 

The  next  messenger  will  take  the  book  Mr.  Babbage 
wishes  for,  and  I  want  very  much  to  send  you  some  of  the 
numerous  philosophical  productions  in  which  this  country 
my  nephew  Grosekopf  says  abounds,  but  I  am  at  a  loss 
on  what  to  fix  my  choice.  I  wish  you  would  let  me  know  if 
any  of  the  ivorks  of  Schelling  are  known  in  England?  Of 
him  it  is  said  that  his  philosophy  is  entirely  new,  and 
beyond  all  what  goes  before,  and  so  profound,  that  nobody 
here  can  understand  him,  &c. 

Believe  me  yours  most  affectionately, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 


CHAI-.  v.]  Settled  in  Hanover.  159 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Dec,  18,  1822. 
MY  DEAR  LADY  HERSCHEL, — 

At  last  I  am  enabled  to  inform  you  of  the  safe  arrival 
of  my  boxes  and  trunks,  which  only  came  the  day  before 
yesterday,  and  then  I  was  obliged  to  wait  till  the  keys  were 
sent  by  to-day's  post,  but  I  have  the  satisfaction  to  find 
that  every  article  is  exactly  as  I  had  packed  them  with  my 
own  hands.  For  the  last  three  weeks,  I  was  despairing 
of  ever  seeing  them  again,  for  the  vessel  had  been  no 
less  than  three  weeks  at  sea,  and  then  had  been  obliged  to 
unload  six  German  miles  beyond  Bremen  for  want  of  Avater 
in  the  Weser.  The  country  is  in  general  much  distressed 
for  want  of  water ;  our  large  rivers  may  be  passed  on  foot, 
&c.  But  of  these  things  you  are  perhaps  informed  by  the 
newspapers,  and  of  many  other  circumstances ;  such  as  the 
mice  eating  the  corn  as  soon  as  sowed,  so  that  sowing  it 
three  times  over  was  without  effect,  till  the  mice  were 
destroyed  by  a  pest  coming  among  them. 

I  would  give  anything  if  I  at  this  moment  could  see  with 
my  own  eyes  how  you  and  my  dear  nephew  are ;  tell  him 
that  on  the  day  after  Christmas  (Dec.  26th)  the  messenger 
will  leave  Hanover,  and  will  take  the  book  for  Mr.  Babbage, 
and  one  in  two  volumes  for  my  nephew ;  also  two  or  three 
letters  of  his  father's  which  I  have  found  among  some  papers 
of  my  brother  Alex. 

I  know  not  if  I  mentioned  it  in  my  last  that  I  selected  all 
his  last  receipts  when  he  left  England,  and  shall  keep  them 
yet  a  little  longer. 

As  yet  I  lead  but  a  dull  sort  of  life ;  the  town  is  much 
too  gay  for  me — plays,  concerts,  card  parties,  walking,  &c. 
I  cannot  take  part  in  any;  my  cold  in  my  head  is  still  very 
bad,  and  my  poor  brother  is  frequently  unwell,  and  for  want 


160  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1822. 

of  my  trunks  I  could  not  accept  Mrs.  Beckedorff's  invitation 
to  meet  Madam  Zimmermann,  £c.,  in  an  evening,  on  ac- 
count of  not  having  clean  things ;  but  she  is  so  kind  as  to 
call  on  me  sometimes  among  all  the  hurry  she  is  engaged  in. 
at  present  with  the  Princess  Augusta. 

Mr.  Gisewell  came  a  few  days  ago  to  see  me  ;  he  lives  a 
little  way  out  of  town,  and  poor  Mrs.  G.  keeps  her  bed,  and 
is  hardly  ever  well ;  their  eldest  daughter  is  happily  situated 
with  the  Queen  of  Wurtemberg,  and  Mr.  Gisewell  enjoys  a 
very  lucrative  situation. 

I  wish  you  could  conveniently  acquaint  my  nephew,  H. 
Griesbach,  as  soon  as  possible,  that  my  brother  has  received 
an  answer  to  the  letter  he  sent  to  Antwerp  to  the  sister 
of  H.  Griesbach,  and  that  in  the  parcel  which  the  mes- 
senger will  bring  will  be  enclosed  her  letter  to  Mr.  H.  G. 

I  hope  you  will  make  Miss  Baldwin  write  me  soon  a  long 
account  how  yourself  and  all  around  and  with  you  are,  but 
pray  let  it  be  a  favourable  one,  and  remember  me  to  all 
(who  are  so  good  as  to  inquire  after  me)  most  cordially, 
and  believe  me, 

My  dear  Lady  H., 

Your  very  affectionate 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

P.S. — We  have  had  a  few  days'  very  severe  frost;  to- 
morrow I  shall  unpack  my  thermometer ;  I  suppose  I  shall 
find  the  difference  between  a  German  and  an  English 
winter,  though  they  make  the  rooms  hot  enough  with  their 
stoves ;  but  then  I  am  afraid  of  firing  their  chimneys,  and 
we  have  no  water,  though  the  police  have  demanded  that 
every  housekeeper  shall  be  provided  with  eight  buckets  of 
water  in  their  kitchen ;  besides,  the  price  of  fuel  is  enormous, 
owing  to  the  French  having  destroyed  all  the  forests. 


CHAP,  v.]          Letters. — Life  in  Hanover.  161 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

HAXOVEK,  Dec.  26,  1822. 
MY  DEAR  NEPHEW, — 

The  parcel  I  am  packing  up  contains  so  many  odds 
and  ends,  that  I  think  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  you  an 
inventory  of  them.  The  most  interesting  to  you,  I  think, 
will  be  the  three  letters  from  your  dear  father  (which  I 
found  among  my  brother  Alexander's  papers),  both  on  ac- 
count of  the  handwriting  and  their  containing  some  accounts 
of  the  busy  life  of  the  times  in  which  they  were  written. 

Of  the  philosophical  work,  I  will  say  nothing  further  than 
that  I  am  curious  to  know  if  I  have  sent  you  sense,  or 
nonsense,  that  I  may  know  in  future  how  to  trust  my  in- 
former ;  I  am  only  sorry  I  could  not  send  them  bound,  but 
they  came  too  late  from  Leipsic  for  that  purpose.  In  the 
small  cover  (with  your  little  man  looking  through  the  tele- 
scope) is  a  shade  of  your  Uncle  Alex.,  which  you  will  be  so 
good  as  to  give  to  your  mother,  who  (if  I  remember  right) 
wished  for  the  same,  after  it  had  been  packed  up,  and  she 
will  perhaps  be  so  good  as  to  send  the  letter  to  Mr.  Henry 
Griesbach  the  first  time  anybody  goes  to  Windsor. 

So  much  for  business,  and  on  the  other  side  I  will  talk  a 
little  of  myself.  But  it  is  a  poor  account  I  can  give  of 
myself  at  present,  and  the  worst  of  it  is  that  I  cannot  hope 
for  better  times.  I  am  still  unsettled,  and  cannot  get  my 
books  and  papers  in  any  order,  for  it  is  always  noon  before 
I  am  well  enough  to  do  anything,  and  then  visitors  run 
away  with  the  rest  of  the  day  till  the  dinner  hour  (which  is 
two  o'clock).  Two  or  three  evenings  in  each  week  are 
spoiled  by  company.  And  at  the  heavens  is  no  getting, 
for  the  high  roofs  of  the  opposite  houses. 

But  within  my  room  I  am  determined  nothing  shall  be 
wanting  that  can  please  my  eye.  Exactly  facing  me  is  a 
bookcase  placed  on  a  bureau,  to  which  I  will  have  some 


162  Caroline  Lncretia  HerscheL  [1823. 

glass  doors  made,  so  that  I  can  see  my  books.  Opposite 
this,  on  a  sofa,  I  am  seated,  with  a  sofa-table  and  my  new 
writing-desk  before  me,  but  what  good  I  shall  do  there  the 
future  must  tell. 

Many  more  of  such  like  transactions  I  was  going  to  com- 
municate to  you,  but  I  am  interrupted  by  the  carpenter  (our 
Andrews),  who  is  come  to  do  some  jobs  for  me,  so  for  this 
once  you  will  be  released  from  my  nonsense. 

But  one  thing  I  must  yet  add,  which  is  that  you  will 
accept  my  heartfelt  wishes  for  your  health,  happiness,  and 
prosperity  throughout  the  coming  year  and  for  many  more 
hereafter,  in  which  my  brother  and  sister  are  joining  most 
sincerely,  to  yourself  and  Lady  Herschel,  and  believe  me, 
my  dear  nephew, 

Ever  your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

HAXOVER,  Feb.  27,  1823. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  take  the  earliest  opportunity  I  have  to  acquaint  you 
with  having  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  H.  Goltermann,  accom- 
panied with  a  draft  for  £2  4s.  6d.,  which  is  already  received 
and  safely  deposited  in  my  writing-desk.  But  the  infor- 
mation that  he  had  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  in  good 
health  afforded  me  the  greatest  satisfaction,  and  he  further 
promised  me  to  forward  the  parcel  to  you  in  Downing 
Street,  which  was  particularly  pleasing  to  me,  as  I  wished 
to  avoid  the  sending  backward  and  forward  by  blundering 
coachmen. 

On  the  5th  of  this  month  I  received  your  letter  without 
date,  but  conclude  it  was  written  about  the  same  time  with 
those  of  your  dear  mother  and  cousin  Mary,  dated  the  9th 
and  fifteenth  of  January.  I  delayed  answering  them  (and 


€HAP.  v.]         Letter  to  J.  F.    W.  Herschel.  163 

must  do  so  still  for  the  present)  because  I  knew  that  all 
mails  were  detained  this  side  of  the  sea. 

One  passage  in  your  letter  affected  me  much,  it  was  gra- 
tifying to  me  and  unexpected :  " .  .  .  .  speaks  of  your 
English  life,  &c.  .  .  But  now  that  you  have  left  the  scene  of 
your  labours  you  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  they 
are  duly  appreciated  by  those  you  leave  behind."  But  I 
can  hardly  hope  that  those  favourable  impressions  should 
be  lasting,  or  rather  not  be  effaced  by  my  hasty  departure  ; 
but  believe  me  I  would  not  have  gone  without  at  least 
having  made  the  offer  of  my  service  for  some  time  longer  to 
you,  my  dear  nephew,  had  I  not  felt  that  it  would  be  in  vain 
to  struggle  any  longer  against  age  and  infirmity,  and  though 
I  had  no  expectation  that  the  change  from  the  pure  country 
air  in  which  I  had  lived  the  best  part  of  my  life,  to  that  of 
the  closest  part  of  my  native  city,  would  be  beneficial  to  my 
health  and  happiness,  I  preferred  it  to  remaining  where  I 
should  have  had  to  bewail  my  inability  of  making  myself 
useful  any  longer. 

I  hope  you  and  Lady  H.  have  not  suffered  by  the  severity 
of  the  weather ;  to  me  it  has  certainly  done  no  good.  I  am 
grown  much  thinner  than  I  was  six  months  ago ;  when  I 
look  at  my  hands  they  put  me  so  in  mind  of  what  your  dear 
father's  were,  when  I  saw  them  tremble  under  my  eyes,  as 
we  latterly  played  at  backgammon  together.  Good  night ! 
dear  nephew,  I  will  say  the  rest  to-morrow. 

By  way  of  postscript  I  only  beg  you  will  give  my  love 
and  many  thanks  to  your  dear  mother  and  cousin  for  their 
kind  letters ;  and  if  the  latter  will  continue  from  tune  to 
time  to  inform  me  of  all  your  well-being,  I  shall  equally  feel 
gratified,  for  it  is  no  matter  from  which  hand  I  receive  the 
comfortable  information. 

I  remain,  ever  your  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HEKSCHEL. 


164  Caroline  Lucretta  Herschel.  [1823. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

HANOVER,  April  14,  1823. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  hasten  to  send  this  sheet,  which  is  but  this  moment 
come  to  hand,  and  the  post  within  an  hour  of  leaving  Han- 
over. I  begin  to  fear  that  I  shall  not  hear  from  you  till 
you  send  me  an  acknowledgment  of  having  received  the 
certificate,  which  we  are  not  able  to  obtain  till  after  the 
10th  of  April  and  10th  of  October,  but  January  and  July 
it  is  the  5th.  I  assure  you  I  would  rather  go  without  the 
money  than  be  so  long  without  hearing  from  you,  or  have  a 
line  to  express  your  pleasure  for  the  present  I  offered  you 
and  Mr.  Babbage  by  sending  the  books  by  the  Christmas 
messenger,  of  which  I,  at  this  moment,  have  no  information 
that  they  have  been  delivered.  By  the  Easter  messenger 
I  have  sent  some  rnetwurst  [a  Hanoverian  delicacy],  which 
I  hope  you  and  your  dear  mother  will  find  good,  but  when 
they  are  once  cut  they  must  be  eaten  soon,  else  they  are 
dry  and  lose  all  their  flavour. 

The  Germans  are  very  busy  about  the  fame  of  your  dear 
father;  there  does  not  pass  a  month  but  something 
appears  in  print,  and  Dr.  Groskopf  saw  in  den  gelehrten 
Zeitungen  that  Professor  Pfaff  had  translated  all  your  dear 
father's  papers  from  the  Phil.  Trans,  into  German,  and 
which  will  be  published  in  Dresden.  I  wish  he  had  left  it 
for  some  good  astronomer  to  do  the  same.  Pray  let  me 
know  how  you  and  your  dear  mother  are  in  health ;  I  am 
not  well,  but  have  a  severe  cold  at  present,  but  am  always 
and  still  your  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

The  following  letter  from  the  Princess  Sophia  of 
Gloucester  is  a  pleasing  memorial  of  the  kindness  and 


CHAP,  v.]  .Letter  to  Miss  HerscM.  165 

amiability  of  which  Miss  Herschel  experienced  so  many 
proofs  while  she  lived  at  Slough : — 

THE  PRINCESS  SOPHIA  MATILDA  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

MY  DEAR  Miss  HERSCHEL, — 

Your  obliging  attention  in  sending  the  Astronomical 
Almanack  to  me  I  am  very  sensible  of,  and  at  the  same  time 
that  I  return  my  best  thanks  for  this  flattering  mark  of  your 
recollection,  I  must  express  my  regret  that  I  am  not  pos- 
sessed of  more  knowledge  and  leisure,  that  I  might  profit 
sufficiently  by  your  kindness  in  endeavouring  to  instruct 
me.  I  was  very  happy  to  learn  that  you  had  reached  your 
native  land  in  safety,  and  I  sincerely  form  every  wish  that 
your  health  may  be  long  preserved  to  you  ! 

May  I  request  you  to  remember  me  kindly  to  Mr.  and 
to  Miss  Beckedorff,  and  to  be  assured  yourself  of  the  true 
esteem  and  regard  with  which  I  remain,  my  dear  Miss 
Herschel, 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

SOPHIA  MATILDA. 

LONDON,  June  16,  1823. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

HANOVER,  June  24,  1823. 

MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  had  intended  to  write  you  a  long  and  very  learned 
epistle,  but  I  am  just  now  informed  that  the  messenger 
will  leave  Hanover  within  a  very  few  hours,  and  I  must 
content  myself  with  giving  you  the  outlines  of  what  I  would 
have  said. 

I  believe  I  have  mentioned  in  a  former  letter  to  your 
mother  that  a  Professor  Pfaff  has  announced  his  intention 
of  giving  a  translation  of  your  father's  papers.  It  runs  in 


166  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1823. 

my  head  that  this  professor  is  but  a  Jackanapes,*  who  will, 
spoil  the  broth,*  and  I  wished  he  would  not  meddle  with 
what  he  cannot  understand.  But  I  thought  it  but  right  to 
inform  you  of  what  is  come  to  my  knowledge,  particularly 
as  I  was  told  it  had  been  announced  again  that  the  transla- 
tion would  appear  with  corrections  and  explanations.  Dr. 
Luthiner  (in  the  "  Ast.  Jahrbuch "  for  this  year  you  may 
see  a  paper  by  this  gentleman)  told  me  since  there  were  two 
professors  of  that  name  (brothers),  one  an  astrologer,  and  if 
it  was  the  latter  he  would  make  nonsense  of  it. 

Miss  Baldwin  mentioned  you  were  at  Cambridge  on 
the  business  of  having  your  father's  papers  printed. 
I  think  it  could  not  be  amiss  if  something  of  your 
intention  could  be  mentioned  in  the  Edinburgh  Quarterly 
Review,  which  appeal's  here  at  Hanover,  and  of  course 
throughout  Germany,  that  it  may  be  known  that  your 
father's  labours  are  in  yours  and  of  course  in  the  most  able 
hands  to  make  remarks  on  them.  I  only  wish  to  draw  your 
attention  this  way,  but  say  nothing. 

I  have  mentioned  it  over  and  over  again  that  I  was  so 
unlucky  as  to  lose  the  paper  on  my  journey  you  entrusted 
to  my  care  for  Prof.  Gauss.  If  you  have  another  copy  to 
spare  give  it  to  Mr.  Golterinan  for  the  return  of  the  mes- 
senger; for  he  has  heard  of  your  good  intention,  and 
laments  my  negligence ;  I  shall  be  introduced  to  him 
shortly,  when  he  comes  through  Hanover  again,  where  he 
passed  through  about  a  fortnight  ago  on  a  journey  of  obser- 
vation, tending  to  establish  some  new  discovery  of  his  own, 
of  which  we  are  soon  to  know  more.  The  theodolite  has 
something  to  do  with  it ;  so  much  I  snapt  up  in  a  company 
of  learned  ladies  who,  within  these  last  two  months,  have 
taken  me  into  their  circle.  But  I  am  imitating  Eobinson 

*  These  words  had  apparently  to  be  sought  for  in  the  dictionary,  as  they 
are  inserted  in  pencil  in  blank  spaces  left  for  the  purpose. 


CHAP,  v.]1      Letter  to  J.  F.   W.  Hcrschel  167 

Crusoe,  who  kept  up  his  consequence  by  keeping  out  of 
sight  as  much  as  possible  when  he  acted  the  governor, 
and  when  they  want  to  know  anything  of  me,  I  say  I  can- 
not tell !  .  .  .  .  I  did  nothing  for  my  brother  but  what  a 
well-trained  puppy  dog  would  have  done,  that  is  to  say,  I 
did  what  he  commanded  me. 

I  send  you  a  small  publication  which  I  think  must  inte- 
rest you,  but  if  it  contains  anything  which  is  new  to  you  I 
cannot  tell.  I  shall,  however,  obtain  what  I  very  much 
long  for,  viz.,  to  see  your  handwriting,  for  surely  you  will 
write  me  a  line  of  thanks  ? 

I  am  in  general  too  unwell  to  sit  much  at  the  writing- 
table,  and  have  not  been  able  to  do  anything  which  could 
be  of  use  to  you.  The  letters  which  you  will  receive  under 
cover  to  you  I  hope  you  will  do  me  the  favour  to  cause  them 
to  be  safely  delivered.  They  are  sealed  already,  else  I  should 
have  added  a  P.S.  to  your  dear  mother  of  the  following, 
viz.,  that  I  was  agreeably  surprised  by  a  letter  this  morn- 
ing from  the  Princessin  Sophia  of  Gloucester,  and  that  my 
brother's  family  are  all  well  at  present ;  my  brother  in  par- 
ticular makes  work  for  the  tailor  to  let  out  his  waistcoats, 
and  they  are  happy  to  have  their  eldest  daughter  for  a  fort- 
night with  them  on  a  visit ;  she  is  a  truly  interesting  little  deli- 
cate creature  just  turned  of  forty,  and  has  one  daughter  fit  to 
be  married,  two  sons  preparing  for  the  university,  and  the 
youngest  weaned  a  month  ago ;  she  is  to  me  a  wonder  when 
I  look  at  her,  she  reads  English  fluently,  French  she  was 
used  to  speak  like  her  mother  tongue  from  her  infancy. 

I  am  interrupted,  and  must  seal  up  the  packet. 
And  I  remain,  dear  nephew, 

Your  most  faithful  and  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 


168  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1823. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

HANOVER,  July  14,  1823. 
MY  DEAEEST  NEPHEW, — 

As  a  proof  of  my  being  still  among  the  number  of 
the  living,  you  will  perhaps  not  dislike  to  see  my  own  hand- 
writing added  to  that  of  the  three  gentlemen  who  signed  my 
certificate.  But  I  am  at  a  loss  for  a  subject  which  should 
be  interesting  to  you,  because,  hearing  so  seldom  from  you, 
I  begin  to  fear  my  correspondence  ma)'  turn  out  to  be 
troublesome.  But  still  I  long  to  hear  a  little  oftener  that 
you  and  your  dear  mother  are  well ;  for  since  April  eleventh 
(date  of  Lady  H.'s  letter)  I  have  had  no  assurance  of  the 
same  on  which  I  could  depend. 

I  wish  often  that  I  could  see  what  you  were  doing,  that  I 
might  give  3rou  a  caution  (if  necessary)  not  to  overwork 
yourself  like  your  dear  father  did.  I  long  to  hear  that  the 
forty-foot  instrument  is  safely  got  down ;  your  father,  and 
Uncle  A.  too,  have  had  many  hair-breadth  escapes  from 
being  crushed  by  the  taking  in  and  out  of  the  mirror ;  but 
God  preserve  you,  my  dear  nephew,  says 

Your  most  affectionate  Aunt, 

CAE.  HEESCHEL. 

P.S. — My  brother  and  family  join  me  in  many  compli- 
ments to  you  and  your  dear  mother.  They  are  all  well ;  I 
am  the  only  one  who  is  complaining,  but  I  think  I  have  a 
right  to  that  preference,  for  I  am  the  oldest. 

FROM  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

DOWNING  STREET,  August  1,  1823. 
DEAE  AUXT, — 

I  have  been  long  threatening  to  send  you  a  long 
letter,  but  have  always  been  prevented   by  circumstances 


CHAP,  v.]     Letter  from  J.  F.    W.  Herschel.  169 

and  want  of  leisure  from  executing  my  intention.  The 
truth  is,  I  have  been  so  much  occupied  with  astronomy  of 
late,  that  I  have  had  little  time  for  anything  else — the 
reduction  of  these  double  stars,  and  the  necessity  it  has  put 
me  under  of  looking  over  the  journals,  reviews,  &c.,  for 
information  on  what  has  already  been  done,  and  in  many 
cases  of  re-casting  up  my  father's  measures,  swallows  up  a 
great  deal  of  time  and  labour.  But  I  have  the  satisfaction 
of  being  able  to  state  that  our  results  in  most  instances 
confirm  and  establish  my  father's  views  in  a  remarkable 
manner.  These  inquiries  have  taken  me  off  the  republica- 
tion  of  his  printed  papers  for  the  present. 

I  think  I  shall  be  adding  more  to  his  fame  by  pursuing 
and  verifying  his  observations  than  by  reprinting  them. 
But  I  have  by  no  means  abandoned  the  idea.  Meanwhile 
I  am  not  sorry  to  hear  they  are  about  to  be  translated  into 
German.  There  is  a  Mr.  Pfaff,  a  respectable  mathema- 
tician, and  I  hope  it  is  he  who  undertakes  the  work.  If 
you  can  learn  more  particulars,  pray  send  them  to  me.  I 
hope  this  season  to  commence  a  series  of  observations  with 
the  twenty-foot  reflector,  which  is  now  in  fine  order.  The 
forty-foot  is  no  longer  capable  of  being  used,  but  I  shall 

suffer  it  to  stand  as  a  monument. 

***** 

I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  book  on  temperaments 
you  were  so  kind  as  to  send  me,  which  seems  interesting, 
but  I  have  not  had  time  to  read  it  through 

P.S. — Your  books  on  animal  magnetism,  and  that  for 

Babbage,  arrived  safe I  wish  you  would  procure 

and  send  me  Pfaff  s  translation  of  my  father's  papers  as 
soon  as  published.  Write  as  often  as  you  can.  Your 
letters  are  very  interesting.  I  wish  I  were  a  better  corre- 
spondent, but  my  time  is  so  occupied,  I  know  not  where  to 
turn. 


170  Caroline  Lucretia,  Herschel.  [1823. 

P.P.S.— Babbage  has  had  ,£1,500  granted  him  by  Go- 
vernment to  enable  him  to  execute  his  engine,  which  is  very 
curious.  A  report  is  strongly  current  of  Captain  Parry's 
successful  arrival  at  Valparaiso  ;  it  comes  in  a  very  probable 
form. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.   F.  W.    HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  August  11,  1823. 

MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  thank  }TOU  most  heartily  for  your  kind  care  and 
punctuality  in  sending  my  remittance,  and  am  only  sorry  to 
trouble  you  so  often ;  I  might  have  acknowledged  the 
receipt  thereof  by  the  last  post,  but  I  wished  first  to  enable 
myself  to  give  the  following  information.  Johann  Wilhelm 
Pfaff,  professor,  in  Eiiangen,  is  the  same  who  intends  to 
translate  your  father's  papers,  but  those  only  which  he  can 
get  a  copy  of.  The  Philosophical  Transactions,  I  am  told, 
are  not  within  his  reach.  You  may  depend  on  my  sending  you 
whatever  may  come  out  as  soon  as  it  makes  its  appearance. 

I  can  easily  imagine  how  little  time  }TOU  can  have  to  spare 
for  writing  to  me  when  once  you  have  entered  on  that  mass 
of  your  father's  observations  contained  in  his  journals,  &c. 
....  I  think  the  temporary  index  (such  as  it  is)  will  in 
many  instances  be  of  service  to  you,  but  X  wish  to  point  out 
here  that  about  the  year  1800  there  was  a  change  made  in 
the  titles  of  some  of  the  books.  The  first  volume  of  mis- 
cellaneous observations  was  then  called  Journal  No.  10,  &c., 
....  so  if  the  index  directs  you  to  January  24th,  1797  M. 
(for  M.  read  •/.)  I  think  a  memorandum  of  this  will  be 
found  in  the  cover  or  beginning  of  the  index,  but  I  am  not 
certain. 

You  have  truly  gratified  me  by  sending  the  inscription  of 
the  monument,*  for  such  subjects  only  are  capable  of  inte- 

*  To  her  brother,  in  Upton  Church,  near  Slough. 


CHAP,  v.]  Astronomical.  171 

resting  my  waking  thoughts  and  nightly  dreams.  I  was 
going  to  give  you  an  idea  of  what  they  are  ;  hut  why  should 
I  communicate  grief? 

The  paper  for  Gauss  is  gone  to  Gottingen.  I  have 
directed  it  to  Professor  Harding,  who  is  the  next  to  Gauss 
in  the  astronomical  department,  as  Gauss  is  not  yet  returned 
from  his  journey  of  measurements.  I  made  a  few  extracts 
from  the  paper  *  hy  way  of  having  something  to  he  delighted 
with,  hut  am  glad  such  a  thing  was  not  invented  fifty  years 
ago,  for  then  my  existence  would  have  heen  of  no  use  at  all 
at  all. 

I  am  amusing  myself  with  having  the  seven-foot  mounted 
by  Hohenbaum,  though  I  have  not  even  a  prospect  of  a 
window  for  a  whole  constellation,  but  it  shall  stand  in  my 
room  and  be  my  monument — as  the  forty-foot  is  yours. 
When  Hohenbaum  comes  for  a  trifling  direction,  we  gene- 
rally do  not  separate  till  dinner,  or  some  other  interruption 
puts  a  stop  to  oui'  conversation ;  for  this  man  is  never  tired 
when  speaking  of  your  father's  inventful  imaginations  and 
the  readiness  with  which  everything  was  executed. 

I  have  not  above  six  hours'  tolerable  ease  out  of  the 
twenty-four,  and  not  one  hour's  sleep,  and  yet  I  wish  to 
live  a  little  longer,  that  I  might  make  you  a  more  correct 
catalogue  of  the  2,500  nebulae,  which  is  not  even  begun,  but 
hope  to  be  able  to  make  it  my  next  winter's  amusement. 

I  was  much  pleased  with  the  partial  success  of  Mr.  Bab- 
bage  in  having  something  granted  towards  going  on  with 
his  grand  ideas. 

With  many  compliments  and  best  wishes,  &c., 
Your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 


*  The  paper  referred  to  is  probably  one  on  "The  Aberrations  of  Compound 
Lenses  and  Object  Glasses,"  read  at  the  Royal  Society  on  the  22nd  March,  1821. 


172  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1824. 

FROM  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

CATANIA  (SICILY),  July  2,  1824. 
DEAR  AUNT, — 

The  last  time  I  wrote  to  you  from  Slough  I  little 
expected  that  my  next  would  be  dated  from  the  foot  of 
Etna — but  I  mean  this  to  be  the  farthest  point  of  my 
wanderings,  and  from  hence  to  turn  my  steps  northwards. 
I  am  not  without  some  hopes  that  my  time  will  so  far  serve 
as  to  enable  me  to  pay  you  a  visit  at  Hanover,  as  I  long 
very  much  to  see  you  among  your  and  my  Hanoverian 
friends My  mother  will  have  told  you  of  my  ar- 
rangements,— of  the  alteration  which  my  plans  of  life  have 
undergone  (and  for  which  I  see  every  day  more  reason  to  be 
thankful),  and  of  my  present  excursion,  so  that  the  date  of 
this  will  not  surprise  you.  To-morrow  I  hope  to  see  the 
sun  set  from  the  top  of  Etna,  and  will  keep  this  open  to  give 
you  an  account  of  my  excursion  there.  Meanwhile  let  me 
congratulate  you  on  the  good  accounts  my  mother  gives  me 
of  your  present  state  of  health  and  spirits,  the  knowledge 
of  which  has  enabled  me  to  give  real  pleasure  to  many  who, 
when  they  heard  I  was  related  to  you,  enquired  with  the 
greatest  interest  respecting  you.  Among  the  rest  I  may 
mention  M.  Arago,  of  the  Observatory  at  Paris,  and  M. 
Fourrier,  the  secretary  of  the  Institute,  who  has  just  been 
reading  the  Eloge  of  my  dear  father  at  a  meeting  of  that 
body,  in  which  I  am  sure  (from  the  associations  I  had  with 
him,  and  the  written  communications  that  passed  between  us 
on  the  subject)  your  own  name  will  stand  associated  with  his 
in  a  manner  that  cannot  fail  to  be  gratifying  to  you.  I  have 
not  (of  course,  as  I  quitted  Paris  before  it  was  read,  or  even 
written)  seen  it,  but  the  man  is  of  the  right  sort,  and  I  will 
endeavour  to  procure  copies  of  it  for  you  and  my  uncle. 
Indeed,  at  Paris  I  find  (as  where  do  I  not  find  it  ?)  universal 
justice  rendered  to  my  father's  merits,  and  a  degree  of 


CHAP,  v.]       Her  Nephew  on  the  Continent,  1 73 

admiration  excited  by  the  mention  of  his  name  that  cannot 
fail  to  be  gratifying  to  me,  as  his  son.  In  fact,  I  find  myself 
received  wherever  I  go  by  all  men  of  science,  for  his  sake, 
with  open  arms,  and  I  find  introductions  perfectly  unneces- 
sary. At  Turin  I  sent  up  my  card  to  Prof.  Plana,  of  the 
Observatory,  one  of  the  most  eminent  mathematicians  of  the 
age,  who  received  me  like  a  brother,  and  made  my  stay  at 
Turin,  which  I  prolonged  a  week  for  the  sake  of  his  society, 
very  pleasant.  He  married  a  niece  of  Lagrange  (not  of 
Lalande),  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  full  of  enquiries 
about  my  "  celebrated  sister,"  (for  everybody  seems  to  think 
me  your  brother,  instead  of  nephew),  and  made  me  tell 
them  a  thousand  particulars  about  you.  The  same  recep- 
tion, but,  if  possible,  still  more  friendly,  and  the  same 
curiosity  (and,  I  may  add,  the  same  mistake)  I  met  with  at 
Modena,  from  Professor  Amici,  an  artist  and  a  man  of 
science  of  the  first  eminence.  He  is  the  only  man  who  has, 
since  my  father,  bestowed  great  pains  on  the  construction  of 
specula,  and  I  do  assure  you  that  his  ten-foot  telescopes 
with  twelve-inch  mirrors  are  of  very  extraordinary  perfection. 
Among  other  of  your  enquiring  fiiends  I  should  not  omit 
the  Abbe  Piazzi,  whom  I  found  ill  in  bed  at  Palermo,  and 
who  is  a  fine  respectable  old  man,  though  I  am  afraid  not 
much  longer  for  this  world.  He  remembered  you  person- 
ally, having  himself  visited  Slough. 

Naples,  Aug.  %Qth,  1824. — I  take  the  first  moment  of 
leisure  to  proceed  with  this.  I  made  the  ascent  of  Etna 
without  particular  difficulty,  though  with  excessive  fatigue. 
The  ascent  from  Catania  is  through  the  village  of  Nicolosi, 
about  ten  miles  from  Catania,  almost  every  step  of  which 
is  covered  with  the  tremendous  stream  of  lava  which,  in 
1669,  burst  from  the  flanks  of  the  mountain,  near  Nicolosi, 
and  overwhelmed  the  city.  Here  I  found  a  M.  Gemellaro, 
who  was  so  good  as  to  make  corresponding  observations  of 


174  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1S24. 

the  barometer  and  thermometer  during  my  absence,  while 
his  brother  observed  below  at  Catania,  and  I  carried  up  my 
mountain  barometer  and  other  instruments  to  the  summit. 
From  Nicolosi  the  ascent  becomes  rugged  and  laborious, 
first  through  a  broad  belt  of  fine  oak  forest,  which  encircles 
the  mountain  like  a  girdle  about  its  middle,  and  affords  some 
beautiful  romantic  scenery — when  this  is  passed  we  soon 
reach  the  limits  of  vegetation,  and  a  long  desolate  scorched 
slope,  knee-deep  in  ashes,  extends  for  about  five  miles  to  a 
little  hut,  where  I  passed  the  night  (a  glorious  starlight  one) 
with  the  barometer  at  21 '307  in. — and  next  morning  mounted 
the  crater  by  a  desperate  scramble  up  a  cone  of  lava  and 
ashes,  about  1,000  feet  high.  The  sunrise  from  this  altitude, 
and  the  view  of  Sicily  and  Calabria,  which  is  gradually  dis- 
closed, is  easier  conceived  than  described.  On  the  highest 
point  of  the  crater  I  was  enveloped  in  suffocating  sulphurous 
vapours,  and  was  glad  enough  to  make  my  observation  (bar. 
21 '400)  and  get  down.  By  this  the  altitude  appears  to  be 
between  10  and  11,000  feet.  I  reached  Catania  the  same 
night,  almost  dead  with  the  morning's  scramble  and  the 
dreadful  descent  of  near  thirty  miles,  where  the  mules 
(which  can  be  used  for  a  considerable  part  of  the  way)  could 
scarce  keep  their  feet. 

Florence,  Aug.  Wth,  1824. — In  the  hurry  and  bustle  of 
travelling  one  is  obliged  to  write  by  snatches  when  one  can. 
*  *  '  *  I  hope  to  hear  from  you  at  all  events  when  I  reach 
England  if  I  should  not  see  you  first,  of  which  I  begin  now 
to  have  serious  doubts,  having  been  so  terribly  retarded  in 
my  Sicilian  journey,  and  at  Naples,  on  my  return,  ~by  the 

illness  of  a  friend. 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

P.S. — Have  you  heard  how  M.  Pfaff's  translation  pro- 
ceeds ?  I  wrote  to  him  from  Cattagione,  in  Sicily. 


CHAP,  v.]  Her  Nephews  Travels.  175 

MUNICH,  Sept.  17,  1824. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

***** 

I  had  originally  intended  to  have  gone  to  Switzerland 
from  Inspruck,  or  from  this  place,  having  a  great  desire  to 
visit  the  north  of  Switzerland,  and  to  make  certain  observa- 
tions among  the  Alps,  but  my  wish  to  see  you  once  more,  to 
assure  myself  and  to  be  able  to  report  to  my  mother  how  I 
find  you — to  pay  my  uncle  Dietrich  a  visit — and,  though 
last,  not  least,  to  see  my  father's  birth-place — these  con- 
siderations outweigh  the  attractions  of  Switzerland,  and, 
although  the  increase  this  detour  will  make  in  the  length 
of  my  journey  homewards  is  so  "considerable  as  to  limit  my 
stay  in  Hanover  to  two  or  three  days  at  the  utmost,  I  shall 
at  least  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  not  neglecting  an  oppor- 
tunity which  may  never  occur  again. 

The  time  when  I  hope  to  arrive  I  cannot  precisely  fix,  as 
it  will  depend  on  circumstances  which  may  occur  in  my 
route,  having  so  arranged  as  to  take  in  a  variety  of  objects 
interesting  in  various  ways,  thus  : — I  shall  go  somewhat  out 
of  my  way  to  visit  Professor  Pfaff,  at  Erlangen,  and  I  hope 
also  to  find  Mr.  Encke  at  Seeberg,  Mr.  Lindenau  at  Gotha, 
Messrs.  Gauss  and  Harding  at  Gottingen,  &c.  Moreover,  I 
hope  there  will  not  take  place  a  resurrection  among  the 
bones  in  the  cave  at  Bayreuth  before  I  get  there.  These 
things  necessarily  interrupt  post  haste,  besides  which  there 
are  always  delays  in  passing  frontiers,  and  accidents  happen- 
ing to  wheels,  springs,  screws,  &c.  Allowing  for  these,  how- 
ever, I  think  it  cannot  be  less  than  a  fortnight,  nor  more 
than  three  weeks  from  the  date  of  this  when  I  shall 
have  the  happiness  of  once  more  shaking  you  by  the 
hand,  and  I  need  not  say  what  satisfaction  it  will  give  me  to 
find  yourself  and  my  uncle,  Mrs.  Herschel  and  their  family 
iu  good  health,  as  well  as  our  good  friends  the  Beckedorffs, 


176  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1824. 

Detmerings  and  Haussmann,  with  whom  it  will  be  a  great 
pleasure  to  me  to  renew  my  acquaintance.  You  have  heard, 
I  daresay,  through  my  mother,  of  our  poor  friend,  Miss 
Deluc's  death.  Mrs.  Beckedorff  will  have  been  much 
grieved  at  it. 

I  hope  you  have  not  forgotten  your  English,  as  I  find 
myself  not  quite  so  fluent  in  this  language  as  I  expected. 
In  fact,  since  leaving  Italy,  I  have  so  begarbled  my  German 
with  Italian  that  it  is  unintelligible  both  to  myself  and  to 
everyone  that  hears  it;  and  what  is  very  perverse,  that 
though  when  in  Italy  I  could  hardly  talk  Italian  fit  to  be 
heard,  I  can  now  talk  nothing  else,  and  whenever  I  want  a 
German  word,  pop  comes  the  Italian  one  in  its  place.  I 
made  the  waiter  to-day  stare  (he  being  a  Frenchman)  by 
calling  to  him,  "  Wollen  Sie  avere  la  bonta  den  acete  zu 

apportaren !  "     But  this,  I  hope,  will  soon  wear  off. 

***** 

I  remain,  dear  aunt, 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 
J.  F.  W.  H. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.    F.    W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Sept.  25,  1824. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  hardly  know  how  to  thank  you  sufficiently  for  your 
valuable  letters,  especially  for  the  one  dated  the  17th  of  this 
month,  as  I  am  now  at  last  assured  that  my  eyes  shall  once 
more  behold  the  continuation  of  jour  dear  father.  For  the 
remaining  days  of  my  life  can  only  by  a  few  hours'  conver- 
sation with  you  be  made  tolerable,  by  affording  me  your 
direction  how  to  finish  a  general  catalogue  of  the  2,500 
nebulse,  &c.,  which  would  have  otherwise  caused  us  both  a 
tedious  and  vexatious  correspondence  in  the  future. 

I  anxiously  forbore  to  express  my  wishes  for  seeing  you, 


CHAP,  v.]  Visit  from  her  Nephew.  177 

for  fear  it  might  have  had  any  influence  on  th  >  direction  of 
your  intended  tour.  But  now  all  will  be  well,  and  I  shall 
only  say  that  we  are  counting  the  days  and  hours  until  we 
shall  have  the  happiness  of  seeing  you,  and  you  will,  on 
entering  Hanover,  have  only  to  direct  your  postilion  to  the 
Markt  Strasse,  No.  453,  where  the  arms  of  my  brother  and 
sister,  as  well  as  mine,  are  longing  to  receive  you,  and  till 
then 

Believe  me,  my  dearest  nephew, 

Your  faithful  and  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

P.S. — I  beg  my  respects  to  .  .  Blumenbach,  and  I  shall 
ever  remember  with  many  thanks  the  visit  with  which  he 
honoured  me  when  last  at  Hanover. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Oct.  14,  1824. 
MY  DEAR  LADY  HERSCHEL, — 

My  dear  nephew  has  now  been  gone  a  week,  and  I  fol- 
low him  in  idea  every  inch  he  is  moving  farther  from  us,  and 
think  he  must  now  be  near  the  water.  I  am  at  this  moment 
in  the  greatest  panic  imaginable,  for  we  have  had  all  the 
week  much  rain,  and  now  it  blows  a  perfect  hurricane.  I 
shall  not  send  this  till  I  have  heard  from  you  that  the  dear 
traveller  is  safely  at  home,  for  it  would  be  cruel  to  augment 
your  anxiety,  which  I  know  you  are  feeling  till  you  see  him 
again. 

[Here  follows  a  long  history  of  the  younger  members  of 
the  Griesbach  family,  with  details  of  the  events  of  seventy 
years  before.] 

....  I  have  not  yet  done,  my  dear  Lady  Herschel,  and 
shall  not  be  easy  till  I  have  given  some  little  account  of  my 
brother's  [Dietrich's]  family,  merely  for  yours  and  my  dear 


178  Caroline  Liicretia  HerscJtel.  [1824. 

nephew's  gratification ;  for,  from  his  kind  inquiries  if  I 
wanted  anything  ?  if  he  could  do  nothing  for  me  ?  it 
seemed  as  if  he  thought  he  could  not  do  enough  for  us. 
My  answer  was  nothing  !  nothing  !  and  this  I  could  say  with 
truth,  as  at  my  age  and  situation  (which  is  truly  respectable) 
I  should  not  know  what  to  do  with  more  without  lavishing 
it  on  others,  where  it  would  only  create  hahits  of  luxury 
and  extravagance.  The  time  of  our  dear  nephew's  being 
here  was  too  short  for  much  confidential  conversation,  else 
I  wished  to  have  made  him  better  acquainted  with  mine 
and  my  brother  Dietrich's  sentiments  concerning  the  noble 
bequest  of  our  lamented  brother,  of  wThich  Dietrich  had  not 
the  most  distant  hope  or  expectation  (for  I  believe  they  never 
had  any  conversation  on  the  subject),  as  1  am  sure  his  way 
of  thinking  is  similar  to  mine,  that  brothers  and  sisters 
(such  as  we  were),  each  beginning  the  world  with  nothing 
but  health  and  abilities  for  getting  our  bread,  ought  to  feel 
shame  at  taking  from  the  other  if  he  should  by  uncommon 
exertion  and  perseverance  have  raised  himself  to  affluence. 
According  to  this  notion  I  refused  niy  dear  brother's  pro- 
posal (at  the  time  he  resolved  to  enter  the  married  state)  of 
making  me  independent,  and  desired  him  to  ask  the  king 
for  a  small  salary  to  enable  me  to  continue  his  assistant. 
£50  were  granted  to  me,  with  which  I  was  resolved  to  live 
without  the  assistance  of  my  brother  ;  but  when  nine  quar- 
ters were  left  unpaid  I  was  obliged  to  apply  to  him,  as  he 
had  charged  me  not  to  go  to  anyone  else.  In  1803,  you 
and  my  brother  insisted  on  my  having  £10  quarterly  added 
to  my  income,  which  I  certainly  should  not  have  accepted 
if  I  had  not  been  in  a  panic  for  my  friends  at  Hanover, 
which  had  just  then  been  taken  by  the  French. 


€HAP.  v.]  Life  in  Hanover.  179 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Nov.  I,  1824. 

DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

Your  welcome  letter,  dated  Slough,  Oct.  22nd,  had 
not  only  the  most  beneficial  effect  on  my  spirits,  but  gave 
the  greatest  pleasure  to  the  whole  family,  for  I  find 
Grosekopf  had  been  under  great  apprehension  for  your 
safety  from  the  many  reported  accidents  among  the  ship- 
ping on  the  English  coasts.  Count  Minister,  it  is  said,  lies 
dangerously  ill  in  consequence  of  the  fright  he  suffered  on 
his  passage  (his  lady  and  his  children  were  with  him),  and 
Grosekopf  imagined  he  must  have  left  Calais  at  the  same 
time  with  you.  But,  thank  God,  all  is  well !  All  I  meet 
with  lament  your  leaving  us  so  soon.  Gauss  has  been  here, 
and  they  say  he  was  quite  inconsolable  at  having  missed 
you.  Hauptmann  Miiller  was  charged  with  compliments, 
which  he  intends  to  deliver  himself  if  I  will  give  him  leave. 
To  be  sure !  and  Olbers,  whom  Dr.  Miirz  saw  in  Bremen, 
was  sorry  not  to  have  seen  you,  as  you  had  been  so  near. 
The  Duke  of  Cambridge,  whom  Dietrich  met  in  the  street, 
asked  about  you,  but  we  could  not  trace  you  farther  than 
Antwerp.  I  believe  half  Hanover  would  have  been  gratified 
if  you  could  have  made  a  longer  stay  with  us.  Dr. 
Grosekopf  will  one  day  come  to  England  I  am  afraid,  and 
talk  you  deaf;  he  is,  however,  a  very  good  sort  of  man, 
.and  desires  me  to  tell  you  that  if  you  wanted  any  books 
you  might  command  him,  he  would  send  you  anything  you 
wanted. 

What  gives  me  the  most  pleasure  in  reading  over  your 
letter,  is  your  telling  me  that  your  dear  mother  is  not  in  the 
least  altered  in  her  looks,  and  that  she  has  been  so  con- 
siderate as  to  give  me  in  her  own  handwriting  the  assurance 

N  2 


180  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1824. 

that  you  are  extremely  well.  That  I  may  yet  often  hear  the 
same,  wishes  your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAK.  HERSCHEL. 

P.S.— [To  Lady  Herschel] 

My  knowing  so  well  to  what  noble  purposes  an  experimental 
philosopher  may  use  his  fortune,  it  would  make  me  very  un- 
happy if  my  dear  nephew  was  cramped  in  his.  And  if  I 
could  do  any  good  by  relinquishing  my  annuity  I  would 
leave  Hanover  and  live  on  my  pension  in  the  country 
most  willingly,  and  am  only  sorry  that  1  have  no  other 
means  of  showing  the  care  and  affection  I  have  for  my 
dear  nephew.  But  I  beg  no  other  notice  may  be  taken 
of  all  I  have  written  than  often — when  my  nephew  or  your- 
self cannot  write — to  inform  me  by  the  hand  of  Miss 

B of  all  your  joys  and  sorrows,  that  I  may,  though  at 

this  distance,  sympathise  with  the  same. 

If  my  nephew  cannot  be  easily  supplied  with  the  Berliner 
Jahrbuch,  I  beg  he  will  let  me  know,  for  I  have  got 
them  by  me,  and  can  send  them  by  the  messenger  in 
January. 


FROM  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

LONDON,  December,  1824. 
DEAR  AUNT, — 

My  mother  and  self  received  your  welcome  letter, 
and  so  far  from  finding,  as  you  seem  to  fear,  the  details  you 
enter  into  tedious,  I  assure  you  we  found  them  highly  in- 
teresting. The  sacrifices  you  have  individually  made  for 
your  family  are  above  all  praise.  It  would  ill  become  me, 
who  am  a  rich  man  (I  mean  in  that  sense  only  in  which  any 
man  can  truly  be  called  rich, — having  enough  to  satisfy  all 
my  moderate  and  rational  wants),  to  deprive  you  of  any,  the 


CHAP,  v.]  Life  in  Hanover.  181 

smallest  part  of  your  income.  On  the  contrary,  it  would 
rather  be  my  duty,  were  it  insufficient,  to  add  to  it,  but  the 
account  you  give  of  your  situation,  corroborated  as  it  is  by 
what  I  have  myself  seen  of  it,  sets  at  rest  all  apprehensions 
on  that  score. 

***** 

I  hope  the  Catalogue  of  Nebulae  goes  on  as  you  wish. 
I  shall  have  little  time  now  for  astronomical  observations, 
being  become  a  resident  in  London  in  consequence  of 
taking  on  myself  the  duties  of  Secretary  to  the  Royal 

Society. 

***** 

I  have  sent  the  lenses  you  wished  for,  and  also  two  prints 
of  the  king  and  queen  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  which  I 
would  be  much  obliged  to  you  if  you  would  transmit  to 
Prof.  Blumenbach,  with  my  compliments.  They  are  the 
best  that  have  appeared,  and  are  considered  striking 
liknesses. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Jan.  14,  1825. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

***** 

I  am  now  writing  out  the  Catalogue  of  Nebulae,  and  am  at 
zone  30°,  and  hope  to  finish  it  for  the  Easter  messenger; 
but  my  health  is  so  wretched  that  I  often  am  obliged  to  lay 
by  for  a  day  or  two.  Dr.  Grosekopf  desires  his  compli- 
ments, and  I  am  to  tell  you  that  when  next  you  come  to 
Hanover  again  he  can  not  only  procure  you  a  sight  of 
Leibnitz's  MS.,  but  leave  to  take  some  home  with  you.  I 
am  in  quest  of  a  good  print  of  Leibnitz  for  you,  and  hope 
soon  to  hear  of  one,  which  shall  accompany  Dr.  Franklin's, 
which  Dietrich  lately  found  among  his  music. 


182  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1825. 

Graf  Rapfstein  brought  me  lately  the  Moniteur  of 
December,  containing  the  history  of  your  dear  father's  life, 
as  read  in  June,  etc.,  at  full  length.  It  is  the  only  copy  of 
the  Court  paper  coming  here  at  Hanover  to  the  French 
Ambassador,  and  I  was  obliged  to  return  it  to  the  same  ; 
but  Grosekopf  has  promised  to  procure  these  copies  from 
Paris,  that  we  may  all  have  one.  Miss  Beckedorf  read  it  to 
me  by  way  of  translation,  and  we  both  cried  over  it,  and 
could  not  withhold  a  tear  of  gratitude  to  the  author  for 
having  so  feelingly  adhered  to  truth  in  the  details  of  your 
dear  father's  discoveries,  etc 

But  if  I  have  understood  Miss  B.'s  translation  right 
I  could  point  out  three  instances  where  too  great  a  stress 
is  laid  on  the  assistance  of  others,  which  withdraws  the 
attention  too  much  from  the  difficulties  your  father  had 
to  surmount. 

(1.)  The  favours  of  monarchs  ought  to  have  been  men- 
tioned, but  once  would  have  been  enough. 

(2  &  3.)  Of  Alexander  and  me  can  only  be  said  that  we 
were  but  tools,  and  did  as  well  as  we  could  ;  but  your  father 
was  obliged  first  to  turn  us  into  those  tools  with  which  we 
could  work  for  him ;  but  if  too  much  is  said  in  one  place 
let  it  pass ;  I  have,  perhaps,  deserved  it  in  another  by  perse- 
verance and  exertions  beyond  female  strength !  Well 
done  ! 

•  With  compliments  to  all  friends,   particularly  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Babbage, 

I  remain,  my  dearest  nephew, 

Yours  most  affectionately, 

CAK.  HERSCHEL. 

Poor  Sir  William  Watson  !  [whose  death  had  lately  been 
announced  to  her.] 


CHAP,  v.]  Life  in  Hanover.  183 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  March  7,  1825. 

The  birthday  of  my  dear  nephew!  who  I  wish  may  enjoy 
in  health  and  prosperity  many  returns  of  this  day.  I  will 
drink  your  health,  and  on  the  16th  of  this  month  you  may 
return  the  compliment,  for  then  I  shall  have  completed  my 
seventy-fifth  year. 

I  received  the  parcel,  not  till  the  last  day  of  February, 
which  contained  your  letter  of  December  4th,  with  the  prints 
of  the  King  and  Queen,  which  I  delivered  to  the  Regierungs- 
rath  B ,  to  forward  to  his  father  at  Gottingen. 

The  first  part  of  your  letter  is  filled  with  expressions  of 
the  most  feeling  kindness  towards  me,  and  I  will  pass  them 
over  without  attempting  to  describe  what  I  felt  on  reading 
the  same,  and  merely  for  yours  and  your  dear  mother's 
satisfaction  I  will  answer  as  in  the  way  of  business  all  you 
wished  to  know.  November  22nd  I  received  the  £50  Lady 
H.  paid  over  for  me  to  Mr.  Goltermann,  for  which  I 
returned  the  day  after  (23rd)  the  formal  receipt  in  a  letter 
to  your  mother,  and  hope  it  may  not  have  been  lost  (for  I 
generally  write  what  comes  uppermost)  ....  I  am  ready 
with  the  Catalogue  of  Nebulae,  and  have  only  to  write,  not 
a  Preface,  for  I  shall  write  what  I  have  to  say  at  the  end 
....  I  wish,  in  case  you  were  not  on  the  spot  to  receive 
the  box  from  Mr.  Goltermann  yourself,  you  would  before 
you  left  town  beg  Mr.  G.  to  keep  it  till  you  called  for  it 
yourself;  for  I  must  confess  that  from  the  day  I  let  the 
eight  manuscript  books  and  catalogue  of  Nebula,  and  cata- 
logue of  stars  drawn  out  of  the  eight  books  of  sweeps,  go 
out  of  my  hands,  I  shall  have  no  peace  till  I  know  they  are 
safe  in  your  own,  where  they  ought  to  be.  If  you  can  think 
of  anything  else  I  can  send  you,  I  beg  you  will  let  me  know, 
for  a  large  parcel  is  no  more  trouble  than  a  lesser  one  to 


184  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1825. 

put  up.  But  I  shall  write  again  when  I  have  packed  up 
the  box,  and  if  you  still  wish  for  relics  of  your  dear  father's 
hand-writing,  I  have  a  great  mind  to  part  with  his  pocket- 
book  (to  you  only),  which  he  used  before  we  left  Bath. 
There  are  only  a  few  pencil  memoranda,  but  they  show 
that  music  did  not  only  occupy  his  thoughts,  but  that  timber 
for  the  erection  of  the  thirty-foot  telescope  of  which  the 
casting  of  the  mirror  was  pretty  far  advanced  was  thought 
of. 

But  now  I  must  say  a  few  words  to  your  dear  mother, 
but  I  wish  soon  to  hear  that  you  have  received  this,  and 
also  a  letter  I  sent  from  here  on  the  14th  January.  I  hope 
it  is  not  lost. 

I  am  not  very  well  pleased  with  my  English,  but  have  no 
time  to  write  what  I  have  to  say  over  again,  but  this  I 
hope  you  will  be  able  to  understand — that 

I  am 
Ever  your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 


FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  March  8,  1825. 
MY  DEAR  LADY  HERSCHEL, — 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  4th  December,  and  it 
relieved  me  of  much  anxiety  I  felt  from  a  fear  that  the 
subject  of  my  long  letter  of  November  8th  might  have 
injured  me  in  your  or  my  nephew's  opinion,  and  I  had 
nothing  to  console  me  in  this  uncertainty,  but  a  line  from 
Mr.  Goltermann  that  he  had  seen  you  in  good  health  and 
received  £5Q  from  you,  which  I  received  the  22nd  Novem- 
ber here  at  Hanover,  and  sent  my  thanks  and  the  usual 
receipt  the  next  day.  But  still  I  remained  in  uncertainty, 
till  by  a  letter  from  Miss  B.  of  15th  December,  you  kindly 


CHAP,  v.]  Life  in  Hanover.  185 

sent  me  your  thanks  for  the  very  letters  which  caused  me 
such  fears. 

But  it  grieves  me  you  should  yourself  take  the  trouble  of 
writing  to  me ;  the  least  kind  expression  from  you  dictated 
to  Miss  B.  is  sufficient  to  make  me  happy  for  many  days 
after.  I  hope  she  will  not  be  taken  from  you  again  for  a 
long  time,  for  she  is  the  most  cheerful  companion  in  health 
and  consoling  one  in  sickness  you  could  have  about  you. 

I  was  sorry  to  hear  by  a  letter  from  Mr.  H.  Griesbach  to 
my  brother  that  you  had  had  another  attack  of  the  gout, 
but  God  grant  I  may  hear  soon  it  may  have  been  of 
short  duration.  Daily  we  come  to  hear  of  the  departure  of 
a  friend  or  some  one  we  know,  but  at  our  time  of  life  it 
cannot  be  otherwise,  for  many  of  those  we  knew  were  older 
than  ourselves,  and  it  is  painful  to  see  when  we  at  last  are 
left  to  stand  (or  lie)  alone,  which  is  often  the  case  with  a 
single  person ;  for  no  attention  can  equal  or  be  more 
cheering  than  what  comes  from  the  heart  of  an  affectionate 
child.  But  no  more  of  this ;  if  we  must  grieve,  there  is  the 
comfort  we  shall  not  grieve  much  longer. 

The  death  of  my  eldest  nephew  I  lament  sincerely,  for  he 
was  deserving  to  have  enjoyed  the  prosperity  of  his  children 
some  years  longer,  but  by  a  letter  I  had  from  Miss  G. 
I  was  gratified  to  know  that  they  had  found  (for  the  present) 
so  noble  a  support  from  the  King  and  from  the  excellent 
Countess  of  Harcourt.  As  to  the  exit  of  poor  F.  Griesbach, 
it  gave  me  more  joy  than  pain ;  for  nothing  but  the  grave 
could  relieve  him  from  wretchedness ;  and  nothing  but  that 
would  rouse  his  posterity  to  a  sense  of  their  duty,  which  is 
to  work  for  an  honest  livelihood ;  even  the  youngest  is  old 
enough  to  do  so,  and  I  hope  to  hear  that  they  may  awake 
from  their  dreams  of  commissions  in  the  army  and  midship- 
men in  the  navy.  The  lot  of  the  children  of  a  poor 
musician  and  descendants  of  a  menial  servant  (even  to  a  king) 


186  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1825. 

is  not  to  look  too  high,  but  trust  to  his  own  good  behaviour 
and  serving  faithfully  those  who  can  employ  them ;  then  they 
will  not  want  encouragement. 

This  is  the  way  I  compose  myself,  for  help  I  cannot 
anybody  any  longer,  and  it  hurts  me,  for  I  am  too  feeble  to 
think  much  of  these  kind  of  things.  The  4th  April  goes 
the  messenger,  and  my  nephew  will  receive  my  handy 
works  and  a  few  little  publications.  I  have  yet  some  publi- 
cations to  make  which  will  take  me  some  time,  to  go  with 
the  catalogue  :  and  then  I  shall  have  nothing  to  put  me  in 
mind  of  the  hours  I  spent  with  my  dear  brother  at  the 
telescopes,  and  for  that  reason  I  keep  the  five  printed 
vols.  of  my  brother's  papers,  and  read  them  over  once  more 
before  I  send  them  to  my  nephew,  and  besides,  it  would 
be  too  much  at  once,  for  books  are  heavy. 

Farewell,  my  dear  Lady  H.,  and  remember  me  to  Miss  B., 
who,  I  hope,  will  be  good  to  me  and  write  often  to 

Your  affectionate  sister, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

P.S. — Mr.    H is  released  from  his  plague,  for  his 

wife  is  dead. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  March  27,  1825. 
MY  DEAR  NEPHEW, — 

I  hope  the  MS.  Catalogue  of  Nebulae  and  that  of  the 
stars,  which  have  been  observed  in  the  series  of  sweeps 
along  with  the  eight  volumes  from  which  they  have  been 
drawn  out,  will  not  unfrequently  be  of  use  to  you. 

The  gauges  were  brought  immediately  after  observations 
into  a  book  called  "  Register  of  Star  Gauges,"  which  was 


CHAP,  v.]  Catalogue  of  Nebula.  187 

kept  with  the  "  Register  of  Sweeps."  Observations  and 
remarks  on  various  subjects  will  often  be  found  as  memo- 
randums, made  during  or  at  the  end  of  a  sweep,  to  which 
the  general  index  may  serve  as  a  direction — as  for  instance 
under  the  head  of  zodiacal  lights — the  index  points  out  twelve 
different  sweeps  in  which  they  were  observed. 

N.B. — Let  it  be  remembered  that  the  memorandums  in 

the  transcript  of  the  sweeps  between  || 1|  are  mine,  and 

must  be  confided  in  accordingly. 

At  the  end  of  the  Catalogue  of  Nebulae  I  have  put  a  list 
of  memorandums  to  the  catalogue  of  omitted  stars,  and 
index  to  Flamsteed's  Observations,  contained  in  his  second 
vol.  They  are  properly  not  all  to  be  called  errata,  but 
mem.  of  errors,  which  could  only  be  solved  by  later  obser- 
vations, &c.,  &c. 


All  your  father's  papers  from  the  Phil.  Trans.,  which  are 
bound  in  five  volumes,  and  in  which  I  have  carried  all 
corrections  (in  the  Catalogues  of  Nebulae)  I  could  find,  I 
must  keep  a  little  longer,  but  they  shall  come  safe  to  your 
hands — along  with  Bode's  and  Wollaston's  catalogues,  when 
my  eyes  have  robbed  me  of  the  pleasure  of  reading — for 
which  misfortune  I  am  in  daily  fear. 

I  am,  dear  nephew, 

Yours  affectionately, 

C.  HEBSCHEL. 


188  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1825. 

FROM  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

April  18,  1825. 

DEAR,  AUNT, — 

I  received  this  afternoon  your  most  valuable  packet 
containing  your  labours  of  the  last  year,  which  I  shall  prize, 
and  more  than  prize — shall  use  myself,  and  make  useful  to 
others.  A  week  ago  I  had  the  twenty-foot  directed  on  the 
nebulae  in  Virgo,  and  determined  afresh  the  right  ascensions 
and  polar  distances  of  thirty-six  of  them.  These  curious 
objects  (having  now  nearly  finished  the  double  stars)  I  shall 
now  take  into  my  especial  charge — nobody  else  can  see 
them.  I  hope  very  soon  (in  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks)  to 
be  able  to  transmit  to  you  and  to  MM.  Gauss  and  Harding 
our  work  (Mr.  South's  and  my  own)  on  the  double  stars,  in 
which  you  will  find  some  of  my  father's  most  interesting 
discoveries  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  doubt.  It  will  con- 
tain measures  of  the  position  and  distance  of  380  double 
stars.  But  Mr.  South,  who  is  an  industrious  astronomer 
(almost  as  much  so  as  yourself),  has  just  sent  me  complete 
and  accurate  measures  of  279  more,  making  in  all  659. 
Among  these  we  have  now  verified  not  less  than  seventeen 
connected  in  binary  systems  in  the  way  pointed  out  by  my 
father,  and  twenty-eight  at  least  in  which  no  doubt  of  a 
material  change  having  taken  place  can  exist.  M.  Struve, 
at  Dorpat,  and  M.  Amici,  in  Italy,  have  also  taken  up 
the  subject  of  double  stars,  and  are  prosecuting  it  with 
vigour. 

I  am  particularly  obliged  to  you  for  my  father's  letters 
and  pocket-book — they  are  to  me  a  real  treasure.  The 
style  of  the  Eloge  in  the  Moniteur  is  very  inferior  to  what  I 
expected  from  Fourier ;  but  on  the  whole  it  contains  nothing 
materially  untrue.  The  publications  enclosed  were  very 
acceptable.  I  wish  my  uncle  had  not  confined  himself  to  a 


CHAP,  v.]  Life  in  Hanover.  189 

mere  catalogue  of  insects,  but  had  told  us  a  little  of  their 

habits.     Of  Leibnitz's  MS S.  more  hereafter 

The  mettwursts  *  are  excellent.     The  packets  to  my  mother 

and  Mary  shall  be  sent 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.    F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  May  3,  1825. 
MY  DEAR  NEPHEW, — 

I  must  content  myself  with  only  writing  a  few  lines 
by  way  of  thanking  you  for  your  very  interesting  letter, 
which  has  taken  all  the  care  from  my  mind  which  I  felt  for 
the  fate  of  the  MS. 

Before  the  box  left  Hanover,  I  received  a  very  kind  letter 
from  Hofrath  Blumenbach,  in  which  was  one  enclosed  to 
you ;  I  hope  it  is  come  to  hand,  though  I  am  still  in  doubt 
about  your  direction,  and  for  that  reason  kept  the  letter 
near  a  fortnight  before  I  parted  with  it. 

You  give  me  hope  of  receiving  some  of  your  and  Mr. 
South's  works  for  Gauss  and  Harding.  I  know  no  way  of 
sending  them  than  through  Mr.  Goltermann  by  the  quarterly 
messenger,  and  that  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  make  some 
inquiry  beforehand  about  the  time  he  is  likely  to  leave 
England. 

The  Duke  of  Cambridge  will,  within  a  month,  be  in 
England ;  perhaps  you  will  meet  with  him ;  he  is  a  great 
admirer  of  you.  Last  Saturday,  between  the  acts  of  the 
concert,  he  asked  me  many  questions  about  you.  I  wish  I 
had  had  your  letter  two  days  sooner,  I  should  then  have 
known  better  how  to  answer  him.  He  enquired  if  you  were 
much  engaged  with  astronomy  ?  I  said  you  were  a  deep 

*  Mettwurst  is  a  meat  sausage  for  which  Hanover  is  famous. 


190  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1825. 

mathematician,  which  embraced  all,  &c.,  ....  then  he 
asked  if  you  studied  chemistry  ?  answer,  very  much !  you 
had  built  yourself  a  laboratorium  at  Slough,  had  a  house 
in  town  for  three  years,  was  secretary  of  the  Koyal  Society, 
would  probably,  in  the  vacation,  be  at  Slough,  &c.,  &c.,  and 
in  return  he  told  me  that  he  heard  from  everybody  you  were 
a  very  learned  philosopher ;  and  if  I  tell  you  that  the  Duke 
of  Cambridge  is  the  favourite  of  all  who  know  him,  I  think 
I  have  made  you  acquainted  with  one  another. 

My  brother  intends  soon  to  write  a  few  words  about 
insects  himself,  which  is  almost  the  only  object  with  which 
he  amuses  himself.  It  is  well  he  does  not  see  the  word 
amuses,  for  I  suppose  it  should  be  sublime  study,  for  when- 
ever he  catches  a  fly  with  a  leg  more  than  usual,  he  says  it 
is  as  good  as  catching  a  comet !  Do  you  think  so  ? 

Perhaps  I  may  have  soon  an  opportunity  of  sending  by 
Mr.  Quintain  a  German  translation  of  Baron  Fourier's 
"  Forlesung."  I  must  examine  first  if  I  have  the  whole  or 
not ;  it  does  not  seem  bad,  but  as  I  do  not  understand 
French,  which  I  had  only  read  to  me  by  Miss  Beckedorff,  I 
can  be  no  judge ;  but  I  think  you  will  not  be  displeased 
with  it ;  but  at  the  ending  they  have  not  mended  it,  for  it 
also  says  I  had  published  all  your  father's  papers,  though 
nobody  will  or  does  believe  that ;  still  I  would  rather  that 
nothing  at  all  had  been  said  about  me  than  say  the  thing 
which  is  impossible ;  and  I  shall  only  fare  like  Bruce  when 
he  pretended  to  have  made  the  drawings  to  his  publications 
himself;  his  having  wrote  the  book,  or  even  having  been  in 
Abyssinia,  was  disbelieved. 

I  must  only  add  that  I  am,  my  dearest  nephew, 
Your  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 


CHAP,  v.]       Declining  health  of  her  Brother.  191 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  HERR  HOFRATH  UND  RITTER  GAUSS. 

HANOVER,  Sept.  8,  1825. 
SIR, 

I  am  almost  at  a  loss  how  to  express  my  thanks  suffi- 
ciently for  the  kind  visit  with  which  you  honoured  me  when 
last  in  Hanover,  for  not  only  the  wish  of  seeing  the  man 
of  whom  I  so  often  had  heard  my  late  brother  speak  in  the 
highest  terms  of  admiration  has  been  at  last  gratified,  but  I 
flatter  myself  of  having  found  in  you,  sir,  a  friend  who  will 
do  me  the  kindness  of  presenting  the  works  of  Flamsteed 
(published  in  1725,  with  my  Index  to  the  Observations 
contained  in  his  second  volume)  to  the  Royal  Observatory 
of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Gottingen. 

The  regret  I  feel  at  the  separation  from  books  which 
have  afforded  me  so  many  days  interesting  employment  will 
be  greatly  softened  by  knowing  that,  referring  to  the  memo- 
randums in  the  margin  of  the  pages  in  Flamsteed's  second 
volume,  much  time  may  yet  be  saved  to  any  astronomer 
who  wishes  to  consult  former  observations,  and  therefore  I 
hope  you  will  pardon  the  trouble  I  am  thus  giving  you,  and, 
with  the  greatest  esteem,  believe  me, 

Sir, 
Your  most  obliged  and  humble  servant, 

CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Sept.  20,  1825. 
***** 

....  I  know  not  how  it  comes  that  I  am  so  barren 
of  subjects  for  filling  up  these  pages ;  my  spirits  are  rather 
depressed  at  present  on  account  of  my  brother's  health, 
who  suffers  very  frequently  much  from  weakness,  so  that  to 
combat  against  infirmities  and  peevishness  (the  usual  com- 


192  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1825. 

panions  of  old  age)  depends  entirely  on  my  exertion  to  bear 
my  share  without  communication,  for  unfortunately  we  are 
never  in  the  same  mind,  and  with  a  nervous  person  of  an 
irritable  temper  one  can  only  talk  of  the  weather  or  the 
flavour  of  a  dish,  for  which  I  care  not  a  pin  about.  But  I 
think  I  shall  do  well  enough,  for  I  am  a  subscriber  to  the 
plays  for  two  evenings  per  week,  and  Thursdays  and  Satur- 
days two  ladies  with  long  titles  are  at  home.  This  is  what 
they  imagine  (I  believe)  a  learned  society,  or  blue-stocking 
club,  of  which,  to  make  it  complete  (for  all  what  I  can  say), 
I  must  make  one.  I  am  to  have  a  day  too,  viz.,  Tuesday, 
and  I  begin  to  tremble  for  the  end  of  October,  when  we  are 
to  start,  for  in  the  morning  I  cannot  work,  and  if  I  gad 
about  all  the  evenings  nothing  will  be  done.  But  we  shall 
see  !  one  thing  I  must  not  forget,  there  are  no  gentlemen  of 
the  party  to  set  us  right ;  but  luckily  not  much  is  required, 
— to  talk  of  Walter  Scott,  Byron,  &c.,  will  go  a  long  way ; 
and  I  subscribe  to  an  English  library,  where  they  have  all 
the  monthly  reviews  and  Edinburgh  Quarterly,  Scott's 

works,  and  a  few  other  novels 

Believe  me  yours  affectionately, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

FROM  J.  F.  W.  HEESCHEL  TO  MISS  HEESCHEL. 

SLOUGH  [after  July},  1825. 
DEAR  AUNT, — 

I  have  sent  by  Mr.  Golterman  several  volumes  of 
Mr.  South's  and  my  paper  on  double  stars,  which  form  the 
third  part  of  the  Philosophical  Transactions  for  1824.  You 
will,  I  have  no  doubt,  be  gratified  to  hear  that  the  French 
Academy  of  Sciences  have  thought  so  well  of  this  work  as  to 
give  us  the  prize  of  astronomy  for  the  present  year  (a  large 
and  handsome  gold  medal  to  each  of  us).  Our  competitors, 
it  is  whispered,  were  Bessel,  Struve,  and  Pons,  the  first  for 


CHAP,  v.]       J.  F.  W.  Herschel— Gold  Medal.         193 

his  immense  catalogue  of  stars  ;  the  second  for  his  observa- 
tions, also  of  double  stars ;  the  third  for  his  discovery  of 
twenty  or  thirty  comets.  Will  you,  on  receiving  them, 
distribute  them  as  follows: — 1.  Keep  the  bound  copy  for 
yourself;  2.  My  uncle;  3.  M.  Harding;  4.  M.  Gauss; 
5.  The  Eoyal  Society  of  Gdttingen.  The  three  last,  I  have 
no  doubt,  M.  Blumenbach  will  forward.  I  was  gratified 
some  time  back  by  a  short  note  from  Professor  Blumenbach, 

from  which  I  find  he  received  the  pictures  safely. 

***** 

I  have  already  found  your  Catalogue  of  Nebulae  in  zones, 
very  useful  in  my  twenty-foot  sweeps,  and  I  mean  to  get  it 
in  order  for  publication  by  degrees ;  but  it  will  take  a  long 
time,  as  it  will  require  a  great  deal  of  calculation  to  render 
it  available  as  a  work  of  reference. 

The  permission  to  examine  Leibnitz's  MSS.  will  be  very 
acceptable  to  me  should  I  again  visit  Hanover,  but  of  that 
I  have  no  immediate  prospect.  A  very  intimate  friend  of 
mine,  Mr.  James  Grahame,  talks  of  taking  up  his  residence 
at  Gottingen  for  the  sake  of  the  library  of  the  University. 
He  is  writing  a  history  of  America.  I  shall  give  him  a 
letter  to  Professor  Blumenbach,  and  shall  beg  you  to  in- 
troduce him  to  his  son,  Begierungsrath  B.,  and  perhaps 
Dr.  Groskopff  will  make  him  acquainted  with  Dr.  Koch,  of 
the  Koyal  Library  at  Hanover,  who  may  be  able  to  assist 
him  in  his  researches If  there  is  anything  in  Eng- 
land you  wish  for,  or  that  you  cannot  get  so  well  in  Hanover, 
pray  name  it,  and  I  will  make  a  point  of  procuring  it 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HEKSCHEL. 

DEVONSHIRE  STREET,  Dec.  30,  1825. 

***** 

I  have  not  been  doing  much  in  the  astronomical  way 
of  late — but,  en  revanche,  Mr.  South  has  been  hard  at  work, 


194  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschcl.  [1825. 

and  has  sent  a  second  paper  of  460  double  stars  to  the 
Royal  Society.  He  is  returned  from  Paris,  and  is  now 
busy  erecting  an  observatory,  as  he  means  to  stay  six 
months  in  England,  and  cannot  be  so  long  without  star- 
gazing. I  enclose  a  little  thing  which  I  published  in 
Schumacher's  Astronomische  Nachrichten  which  may  in- 
terest you.  Shortly  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  to  transmit 
you  some  papers  on  the  longitude  of  Paris,  and  on  the 
parallax  of  the  fixed  stars,  which  I  have  now  in  hand.  Do 
not  suppose  that  I  pretend  to  have  discovered  parallax,  but 
if  it  exists  to  a  sensible  amount,  I  think  it  cannot  long 
remain  undiscovered  if  anybody  can  be  found  to  put  into 
execution  the  method  I  am  about  to  propose,  and  I  hope  it 
will  be  taken  up  by  astronomers  in  general. 

I  have  so  far  perfected  the  system  of  sweeping  with  the 
twenty-foot  that  I  can  now  make  sure  of  the  polar  distances 
of  objects  to  within  1',  and  their  right  ascensions  to  cer- 
tainly within  2"  of  time.  I  have  re-observed  a  great  many 
of  the  nebulae,  and  in  the  course  of  the  few  sweeps  I  have 
made,  have  discovered  many  not  in  your  most  useful  cata- 
logue. But  I  am  now  fixed  in  town  for  the  winter,  and 
have  brought  up  the  said  catalogue  to  consider  of  the  best 
mode  of  preparing  it  for  publication,  if  it  meets  with  your 
approbation. 

Mr.  South's  later  observations  strikingly  confirm  the  re- 
sults obtained  by  us  jointly  respecting  the  revolving  stars, 
and  aiford  new  and  very  remarkable  instances  in  support  of 
my  father's  ideas  on  this  subject.  Of  one  pair  (the  double 
star  £  Ursa  Majoris)  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall  soon  obtain 
elliptic  elements. 

The  following  is  the  answer  from  Professor  Gauss  to 
the  letter  already  given  : — 


CHAP,  v.]        Letter  from  Professor  Gauss.  195 

DEAR  MADAM, — 

Being  returned  hither  a  few  days  ago  from  a  journey 
that  had  kept  me  absent  during  a  month,  I  found  your 
favour  of  September  8th,  together  with  your  extremely  valu- 
able present  of  Flamsteed's  "Hist.  Coel.,"  "  Atlas  Coel.," 
and  your  own  catalogue.  Be  assured  that  I  acknowledge 
your  kindness  with  the  most  sincere  gratitude,  and  that 
these  works,  so  precious  by  themselves,  but  much  more  so 
by  the  numerous  enrichments  from  your  own  hand,  shall 
always  be  considered  as  the  greatest  ornament  of  the  library 
of  our  Observatory. 

I  am  very  sorry  that  my  absence  from  Gottingen  has. 
deprived  me  of  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mr.  Grahame,  who 
was  calling  upon  me  the  same  day  I  had  set  out  for  my 
journey.  However,  I  am  glad  to  understand  from  your 
nephew's  letter,  which  Mr.  Grahame  has  left  here,  that  this, 
gentleman  intends  to  return  to  Gottingen  in  the  next  year. 

I  cannot  express  how  much  I  feel  happy  of  having  made 
the  personal  acquaintance  [of  one]  whose  rare  zeal  and  dis- 
tinguished talents  for  science  are  paralleled  by  the  amiability 
of  her  character,  and  I  flatter  myself  that  in  future,  if  I  find 
once  more  an  opportunity  of  staying  in  Hanover,  I  shall 
not  be  denied  the  permission  to  repeat  personally  the  assu- 
rance of  the  high  esteem  with  which  I  am, 
Dear  Madam, 

Your  most  obliged  humble  servant, 

CHARLES  FREDERICK  GAUSS. 

GOTTINGEX,  Sept.  28, 1825. 


o  2 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LIFE  IN  HANOVER — continued. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.   HERSCHEL. 

Feb.  1,  1826. 

MY  DEAEEST  NEPHEW, — 

On  the  17th  January  I  received  by  the  same  post 
your  letters  of  December  30th  and  January  9th.  I  should 
have  answered  your  precious  communication  of  December 
30th  immediately  if  I  was  not  in  hopes  of  receiving  daily  an 
answer  to  what  I  sent  on  the  28th  December.  I  cannot  ex- 
press my  thanks  sufficiently  to  you  for  thinking  me  worthy 
of  forming  any  judgment  of  your  astronomical  proceedings, 
and  am  only  sorry  that  I  cannot  recall  the  health,  eyesight, 
and  vigor  I  was  blessed  with  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago ;  for 
nothing  else  is  wanting  (and  that  is  all)  for  my  coming  by 
the  first  steamboat  to  offer  you  the  same  assistance  (when 
sweeping)  as,  by  your  father's  instructions,  I  had  been 
enabled  to  afford  him.  For  an  observer  at  your  twenty-foot 
when  sweeping  wants  nothing  but  a  being  that  can  and  will 
execute  his  commands  with  the  quickness  of  lightning  [!], 
for  you  will  have  seen  that  in  many  sweeps  six  or  twice  six, 
&c.,  objects  have  been  secured  and  described  within  the 
space  of  one  minute  of  time. 

I  cannot  think  that  any  catalogue  but  the  MS.  one  in 
zones  (which  was  only  intended  for  your  own  use)  would 
facilitate  the  reviewing  of  the  Nebulae,  and  you  are  the  only 


CHAP,  vi.]  To  J.  F.  W.  Herschd.  197 

one  to  whom  1885,  viz.,  2nd  and  3rd  class,  out  of  the 
2500,  can  be  visible  in  your  twenty-foot.  Wollaston,  who 
knew  this,  has  given  in  his  Catalogue  only  1st  and  4th, 
&c.  classes  of  the  first  1000,  the  second  not  having  been 
published  at  that  time,  and  they  are  without  the  yearly 
variation. 

Bode  has  given  the  first  and  second  Catalogues  complete, 
and  calculated  the  yearly  variation  to  each  by  de  Lambre's 
Tables.  (See  Bode's  preface,  p.  iv.,  line  18.)  The  last 
500  were  not  published  yet  in  1800,  or  rather  1801.  I 
only  mention  this  that  if  you  wanted  the  variations,  and 
had  a  mind  to  trust  to  that  catalogue  of  errors,  it  would 
save  an  immense  trouble  by  copying  them.  But  the  more 
I  think  of  these,  the  more  I  doubt  if  it  would  not  be  in- 
juring the  places  of  objects  merely  (though  accurately) 
pointed  out,  to  calculate  them  in  the  same  manner  as  stars 
repeatedly  observed  in  fixed  instruments ;  and  I  doubt  if 
your  father  noticed  Bode's  having  done  so. 

You  will  find  undoubtedly  many  more  nebulae  which  may 
have  been  overlooked  for  want  of  time,  flying  clouds,  hazi- 
ness, &c.,  especially  in  those  sweeps  which  are  registered 
half  sweep.  It  is  a  pity  time  could  not  be  found  for  making, 
as  was  often  intended,  a  register  in  which  the  boundaries  of 
the  sweeps,  with  the  nebulse,  were  all  brought  to  one  time, 
either  to  Flamsteed's  or  1790  or  1800.  The  register  in 
Flamsteed's  time,  which  is  from  45°  to  129°,  is  for  that 
reason  the  best  mem.  At  the  time  that  register  was  made, 
the  apparatus  for  sweeping  in  the  zenith  was  not  completed, 
and  higher  than  45°  was  not  used. 

If  you  should  wish  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summers 
(when  your  father  was  generally  from  home)  to  fill  up  the 
unswept  part  of  the  heavens,  you  might  perhaps  discover  as 
many  objects  as  would  produce  a  pretty  numerous  catalogue. 
You  will  see  in  the  register  of  Flamsteed's  time  a  curved 


198  Caroline  Liter etia  HerscheL  [1826. 

line  which  denotes  that  the  Milky  Way  is  in  those  places, 
and  if  you  see  an  L  and  find  a  cluster  of  stars  thereabout, 
I  shall  claim  it  as  one  of  those  I  mentioned  in  my  last  letter 
to  you.  It  was  the  assistant's  business  to  give  notice  when 
such  marks  or  any  nebulae  in  the  lapping  over  of  the  sweep 
either  above  or  below  were  within  reach,  by  making  the  work- 
man go  a  few  turns  higher  or  lower.  (N.B.  No  more  than 
is  convenient  without  deranging  the  present  sweep.)  But  I 
am  forgetting  myself,  and  fear  I  am  tiring  you  unneces- 
sarily, and  will  only  add  that  if  your  father  wanted  at  any 
time  to  review  or  to  show  any  of  his  planetary  or  other  re- 
markable nebulae  to  his  friends,  the  time  and  P.D.  was,  by 
the  variation  of  its  nearest  star  in  Wollaston's  or  Bode's 
catalogue,  brought  to  the  intended  time  of  observation,  and 
P.D.  —  comp.  of  latitude,  with  allowance  for  refraction, 
gave  the  quadrant  for  setting  the  telescope. 

But  after  all,  dear  Nephew,  I  beg  you  will  consider  your 
health.  Encroach  not  too  much  on  the  hours  which  should 
be  given  to  sleep.  I  know  how  wretched  and  feverish  one 
feels  after  two  or  three  nights  waking,  and  I  fear  you  have 
been  too  eager  at  your  twenty-foot,  and  your  telling  me  that 
you  have  been  unwell  for  some  months,  and  now  only  begin 
to  feel  better,  makes  me  very  unhappy,  and  I  shall  not  be 
comfortable  till  I  see  by  your  next  that  you  are  perfectly 
well  again ;  I  am  quite  impatient  to  see  what  you  have 
to  say  about  the  parallax  of  the  fixed  stars,  but  on  such 
occasions  I  am  vexed  that  your  father  did  not  live  to  know 
of  your  grand  discoveries.  You  say  something  of  a  paper 
on  the  longitude  of  Paris  ;  I  hope  you  will  think  of  Gauss 
when  you  have  anything  new. 

Among  the  letters  from  your  father's  correspondents  in 
alphabetical  parcels  you  will  find  under  the  letter  P.  some 
of  Pond's,  who  was  about  the  end  of  the  last  century  in 
Lisbon,  with  an  excellent  seven-foot  telescope  of  your 


CHAP,  vi.]  Mr.  South. 

father's,  and  I  remember  that  several  letters  passed  between 
them  about  a  double  star  in  Bootes. 

I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  sheet  of  Schumacher's 
"  Astronom.  Nachrichten."  It  is  highly  interesting  to  me, 
and  will  set  many  a  one  right  without  offending  anyone. 
On  looking  in  the  2nd  Catalogue  of  double  stars,  No.  104, 
C  Bootes,  VI.  Class,  November  29th,  1782,  and  3rd  Cata- 
logue, No.  114,  C  Bootes,  I.  Class,  April  5th,  1796,  I  cannot 
help  thinking  on  the  possibility  that  in  the  lapse  of  thirteen 
years  and  a  half  the  small  stars  may  have  come  out  from 
behind  the  large  one.  But  I  beg  do  not  laugh  at  me  for 
breaking  my  head  about  these  things,  and  I  will  now  begin 
to  talk  about  what  I  can  comprehend. 

From  your  mentioning  Mr.  South  in  your  last  letter,  I 
fear  he  intends  leaving  England,  at  which  I  should  be  very 
sorry  on  your  account,  for  if  I  should  not  live  long  enough 
to  know  you  comfortably  married,  I  could  only  console 
myself  by  your  having  always  a  Babbage,  South,  or  Gra- 
hame  to  pass  your  social  hours  with.  If  you  can  meet  with 
a  good-natured,  handsome,  and  sensible  young  lady,  pray 
think  of  it,  and  do  not  wait  till  you  are  old  and  cross.  And 
let  me  know  in  time  that  I  may  set  hands  to  work  to  make 
the  bridal  robe  ;  here  are  women  who  work  exquisitely,  and 

at  a  price  within  the  reach  of  my  purse. 

***** 

P.S. — Dear  Nephew,  I  have  spent  too  much  time  in  gos- 
siping with  your  dear  mother  for  saying  anything  besides, 
Taut  I  am, 

Your  most  sincere  and  affectionate  aunt, 

CAE.  HEESCHEL. 


200  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscJiel.  [1826, 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HEESCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Aug.  8,  1826. 
***** 

The  long  continuance  of  the  great  heat  has  had  so  very 
bad  an  effect  on  nay  feeble  frame ;  and  considering  niy 
advanced  age,  I  ought  not  to  put  off  the  making  a  sort 
of  a  will,  which  I  would  set  about  with  the  greatest 
pleasure  if  I  had  anything  to  leave  for  which  you  would 
be  the  better.  But  I  am  sure  you  will  not  be  disappointed, 
for  you  remember  I  parted  with  my  little  property  before  I 
left  England  (against  your  -good  advice)  because  I  thought 
at  that  time  I  should  not  live  a  twelvemonth. 

From  the  first  moment  I  set  foot  on  German  ground,  I 
found  I  was  alone.  But  I  could  not  think  of  separating 
myself  from  him,  [her  brother  Dietrich]  especially  as  his 
health  is  so  very  precarious,  that  I  often  think  he  will  go 
before  me.  At  this  present  moment  he  is  in  bed  veiy  ill, 
suffering  from  weak  nerves.  But  the  above  is  all  by  way  of 
showing  you  the  necessity  for  begging  you  to  answer  to  the 
following  questions. 

My  sweeper  I  wish  to  leave  to  Miss  Beckedorff,  and  the 
picture  of  the  Princess  of  Gloucester  to  her  mother,  for 
the  two  ladies  have  been  my  guardian  angels  for  many 
years. 

Dr.  Groskopff  is  to  have  the  seven-foot  reflector,  though 
I  know  it  will  only  be  a  relic  to  him,  but  it  will  not  be 
destroyed  or  sold  for  an  old  song.  My  clothing  and  such 
articles  of  furniture  as  I  have  been  obliged  to  purchase, 
my  three  nieces  may  divide  themselves  in.  Your  dear 
father's  publications  in  five  volumes,  Bode's  and  Wollaston's 
Catalogues  (full  of  my  memorandums),  and  one  of  my 
Indexes,  shall  be  sent  to  you.  Also  a  rough  copy  of  the 


CHAP,  vi.]  Making  her  Will.  201 

general  Index  to  your  father's  observations,  and  several 
articles  of  that  sort  with  memorandums  taken  from  what  I 
have  called  a  Day-book,  which  at  leisure  you  may  look  over 
and  afterwards  consign  to  the  flames,  for  I  cannot  take  it 
in  my  heart  to  do  it  myself. 

The  observations  on  double  stars  by  you  and  Mr.  South 
(so  handsomely  bound)  and  the  volume  sent  last,  by  South, 
shall  I  send  them  to  you  ? — else  I  leave  them  to  the  Duke 
of  Cambridge  ! — answer  required. 

Taylor's  tables,  will  they  be  of  use  to  you  for  your  godson 
Babbage  ? — else  they  must  be  only  an  ornament  to  Gros- 
kopff's  library  ! — answer  required. 

I  am  impatient  to  have  your  answer  to  this  stuif,  which 

I  am  almost  ashamed  to  trouble  you  with. 

**•***• 

My  next  shall  be  of  a  more  agreeable  subject,  and  I  have 
only  to  say, 

I  am, 

Your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

C.  HEESCHEL. 

FROM  J.  F.  W.  HEESCHEL  TO  MISS  HEESCHEL. 

MONTPELLIER,  Sept.  17,  1826. 

DEAR  AUNT, — 

You  will  think  me  a  strange  gad-about,  but  my  last, 
if  you  have  got  it,  will  have  prepared  you  to  expect  a  letter 
from  either  the  north  or  south  of  Europe  from  me,  in  short 
from  any  country  except  England.  I  was  then  not  decided 
whether  to  go  to  Norway  or  the  south  of  France,  but  here 
I  am  at  last,  and  having  a  letter-writing  day  before  me 
and  yours  of  the  8th  August  in  my  portfolio,  I  cannot  do 
better  than  to  answer  it. 

With  regard  to  the  dispositions  you  mention  in  your 
letter,  and  respecting  which  you  express  a  wish  for  my 


202  Caroline  Liter etia  HerscJiel.  [1826. 

opinion,  they  are  such  as  it  is  impossible  to  do  otherwise 
than  approve,  and  such  as  the   good  sense  and  kindness 

which  marks  everything  you  do  has  dictated. 

***** 

I  have  been  rambling  over  the  volcanoes  of  Auvergne, 
and  propose  before  I  quit  this,  to  visit  an  extinct  crater 
which  has  given  off  two  streams  of  lava  at  Agde,  a  town 
about  thirty  miles  south  of  this  place  on  the  road  to  the 
Spanish  frontier.  Into  Spain,  however,  I  do  not  mean  to 
go, — having  no  wish  to  have  my  throat  cut.  I  am  told, 
however^  that  a  regular  diligence  runs  between  this  and 
Madrid,  and  is  as  regularly  stopped  and  robbed  on  the 
way. 

You  say  you  wish  for  an  answer  respecting  the  vol.  of 
observations  on  double  stars,  sent  by  Mr.  South  and  my- 
self, but  can  I  do  better  than  leave  such  matters  to  your 
judgment  ?  At  the  same  time,  as  having  belonged  to  you 
they  could  not  but  have  a  value  in  my  eyes  beyond  my  own 
copy ;  but  pray  decide  yourself.  I  have  several  left. 

I  regret  extremely  to  hear  you  feel  those  little  (perhaps 
not  little)  inconveniences  we  are  none  of  us  exempt  from, 
arising  from  the  imperfections  of  human  nature,  both  in 
ourselves  and  those  we  live  with.  I  believe  the  best  receipt 
for  them  is  endurance  and  a  determination  to  show  ourselves 
superior  to  them. 

I  have  my  rubs  now  and  then  too,  but  I  make  up  my  mind 
to  them  as  quite  inevitable,  and  arising  from  causes  over 
which  I  have  no  control.  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  of  my 
uncle's  bad  state  of  health. 

I  must  be  in  England  in  the  beginning  of  October,  or  at 
farthest  by  the  15th.  So,  you  see,  I  have  no  time  for 
Hanover  on  my  way  back.  It  is  dreadfully  hot  here,  and  I 
am  much  disappointed  with  the  place.  However,  I  hope  to 
get  one  day  of  intense  sunshine  while  I  remain  in  this 


CHAP,  vi.]    y.  F.  W.  Herschel  in  Auvergne.  203 

latitude  on  account  of  some  observations  on  solar  radiation 
I  have  to  make  with  a  new  instrument  which  I  made  before 
I  left  England,  and  brought  with  me.  I  carried  it  up  the 
Puy  de  Dome,  and  was  in  hopes  to  have  used  it  at  the  Great 
St.  Bernard,  in  Switzerland,  but  that  must  now  stand  over 
for  another  year. 

Adieu,  dear  aunt,  and  believe  me — "  where'er  I  go,  what- 
ever realms  I  see  " — 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  H. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

Sept.  29,  1826. 

MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

Within  this  hour  only  I  received  your  dear  letter, 
-dated  Montpellier,  Sept.  17th,  which  I  assure  you  has  made 
quite  another  (and  what  is  more)  a  proud  woman  of  me ;  for 
your  answers  to  my  few  questions  are  so  kindly  expressive  of 
approbation,  that  I  shall  in  future  not  fear  to  follow  my 
own  opinion,  which  through  my  whole  lifetime  I  never  ven- 
tured to  do  before. 

I  am  glad  you  did  not  come  to  Hanover,  for  I  am  sure  to 
part  from  you  once  more  would  finish  me  before  I  am  quite 
prepared  for  going. 

The  letter  you  mention  having  written  me  before  you 
left  England  I  have  not  received.  The  fault  does  not  lie 
here,  for  the  secretary  here  takes  too  much  pleasure  in 
sending  me  my  letters. 

I  must  hasten  to  get  my  packet  away,  but  will  only  beg 
to  let  me  know  through  Miss  Baldwin  as  soon  as  you  get 
home  of  your  safe  arrival,  for  I  fear  you  must  often  be 
.exposed  to  great  dangers  by  creeping  about  in  holes  and 


204  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1826. 

corners  among  craters  of  volcanoes,  but  you  know  best,  and 
I  hope  you  found  something 

I  am, 

My  dear  nephew's  affectionate  aunt, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

Nov.  1,  1826. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

The  1st  vol.  of  the  translation  of  your  dear  father's 
papers  is  come  out.  I  shall  have  it  in  a  few  days  from  the 
bookbinder,  and  in  February,  I  am  told,  the  next  volume 
will  make  its  appearance.  I  wish  you  would  inform  me  as 
soon  as  possible  if  I  shall  send  you  a  copy,  that  I  may  write 
for  one  in  time  to  have  it  ready  by  the  end  of  December, 
when  the  messenger  leaves  Hanover.  It  is  a  pity  you 
cannot  have  it  immediately.  The  plates  are  not  with  the 
work,  but  are  to  be  had  bound  in  a  separate  book  (I  suppose 
when  the  whole  is  finished). 

I  long  to  know  that  you  are  arrived  safe  and  in  good 
health  in  England  again,  for  by  your  last,  dated  Montpellier, 
Sept.  17th,  I  see  that  you  had  then  another  volcanic  moun- 
tain to  visit,  besides  an  observation  to  make  on  solar 
radiation  with  your  new  instrument ;  the  very  thought  of 
it  puts  me  in  a  fever  all  over — at  this  present  moment, 
though  we  have  no  longer  to  complain  of  heat ;  so  I  beg 
you  will  inform  me  that  your  health  has  not  been  injured, 
and  that  you  have  not  been  totally  disappointed  in  your 
researches. 

I  lead  a  very  idle  life,  my  sole  employment  consists  in 
keeping  myself  in  good  humour  and  not  be  disagreeable  to 
others. 

Groskopff  tells  me  the  translation  of  your  father's  papers 


CHAP,  vi.]  Accident  at  Sea.  205 

causes    a    great    sensation    among  the    learned    here    in 
Hanover. 

***** 

Believe  me,  dearest  nephew, 

Yours,  most  affectionately, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.    F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

Dec.  5,  1826. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  18th  November,  the  day 
before  yesterday,  therefore  fifteen  days  old,  which  is  pretty 
well  considering  the  time  of  year.  I  hope  this  will  reach 
you  soon,  for  I  have  longed  very  much  to  give  you  an 
account  of  the  last  parcel  of  papers  you  sent,  which  I  only 
deferred  till  I  had  received  an  account  of  your  safe  arrival 
in  England  by  your  own  hands. 

The  parcel  which  you  gave  to  Mr.  Goltermami  on  the 
18th  August  arrived  here  by  the  messenger  on  the  3rd 
November,  and  five  days  after  (which  it  took  me  to  dry  the 
copies,  for  the  messenger  had  met  with  storm  and  accidents 
at  sea,  and  some  of  his  boxes  had  been  under  water),  viz., 
the  18th  Nov.,  I  sent  to  Gottingen,  according  to  direction, 
with  a  note,  to  Gauss.  And  those  to  Bessel  and  Encke  I 
enclosed  with  Bode's  copy,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  the  same  by 
way  of  thanks  for  some  kind  enquiries  he  had  made  after 
me  ;  and  now  I  see  that  fourteen  days  after  this  good  man 
[Bode]  departed  this  world  in  his  eightieth  year,  but  I  have 
no  doubt  he  has  delivered  the  papers  immediately,  for  he 
had  no  illness,  and  was  at  his  last  hour  at  his  writing-table 
employed  with  writing  the  "  Berliner  Jahrbuch  "  for  1830. 

The  copies  were,  after  being  dried,  perfectly  clean,  no 
stain  remaining,  and  that  they  were  so  long  detained  is  not 
the  fault  of  Mr.  G.,  for  the  Michaelmas  messenger  was  the 


206  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [1826. 

first  that  went  after  the  18th  Aug.  In  the  parcel  I  found 
also  the  letter  you  wrote  before  leaving  England,  which  I 
concluded  to  have  been  lost,  but  now  all  is  safe. 

Sun  and  Comet. — At  Hanover  totally  cloudy,  and  by  what 
I  can  learn  from  a  certain  astronomical  gossip,  Prof.  Wild, 
it  has  been  so  throughout  all  Germany,  for  he  has  had  no 
account  that  anything  has  been  seen  on  the  18th  Nov.  On 
the  17th  it  is  mentioned  (in  the  Zeitungen,  I  believe)  a  large 
spot  on  the  sun  to  have  been  observed  at  Frankfort,  but  the 
18th  being  cloudy  it  could  not  be  pursued. 

In  your  observations  with  the  twenty-foot  you  mention  a 
Mr.  Ramage  as  having  observed  with  you  ;  and  in  another 
place  you  speak  of  his  twenty-five-foot  reflector.  Pray  tell 
me  something  about  this  gentleman,  for  I  never  heard  his 
name  before,  and  if  I  had  not  been  so  fortunate  as  to  have 
seen  Babbage  and  South  just  before  I  left  England,  I  should 
not  now  have  the  comfort  to  know  you  had  so  estimable 
friends  to  communicate  with ;  and  I  shall  rejoice  to  know 
that  the  number  of  valuable  men  I  have  known,  and  are  no 
more,  might  be  replaced  by  some  who  are  worthy  to  be  con- 
temporary with  the  son  of  your  father ! 

You  ask,  as  it  were,  if  I  were  satisfied  with  the  way  in 
which  you  have  mentioned  me  in  that  paper  ?  If  I  should 
answer  honestly  I  should  say  not  quite,  for  you  set  too  great 
a  value  on  what  I  have  done,  and  by  saying  too  much  is  say- 
ing too  little  of  my  brother,  for  he  did  all.  I  was  a  mere  tool 
which  he  had  the  trouble  of  sharpening  and  to  adapt  for  the 
purpose  he  wanted  it,  for  lack  of  a  better.  A  little  praise  is 
very  comfortable,  and  I  feel  confident  of  having  deserved  it 
for  my  patience  and  perseverance,  but  none  for  great  abilities 
or  knowledge.  But  of  this  you  will  perhaps  be  a  judge,  as 
I  am  now  gathering  from  loose  memorandums  a  little  history 
of  my  life  during  the  years  from  1772  to  1788 


CHAP,  vi.]      Monkey  Clock  to  count  Seconds.  207 

You  mention  a  monkey-clock,  or  jack,  in  your  paper.  I 
would  only  notice  (if  you  mean  the  jack  in  the  painted  deal 
case)  that  Alex  made  it  merely  to  take  with  me  on  the  roof 
when  I  was  sweeping  for  comets,  that  I  might  count  seconds 
by  it  going  softly  downstairs  till  I  was  within  hearing  of  the 
beat  of  the  timepiece  on  the  first  floor  (at  that  time  our 
observatory)  all  doors  being  open.  Your  father  never  used 
it  except  when  polishing  the  forty-foot 

In  about  three  weeks  the  messenger  leaves  Hanover,  and 
I  will  send  you  the  first  volume  of  the  translation  of  your 
father's  papers;  but  I  shall  not  order  ten  copies  as  you 
desired,  till  you  give  me  further  orders,  for  I  do  not  think 
you  will  be  pleased  with  the  work,  and  it  seems  there  is  not 
much  call  for  them.  Dr.  Luthmer,  says  Pfaff,  was  not  the 
man  who  ought  to  have  attempted  such  a  work,  it  ought  to 
have  been  a  Bessel. 

To  your  dear  mother  and  Miss  B.  I  beg  to  be  kindly 
remembered, 

And  remain 

Yours,  most  affectionately, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

FROM  MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.   W.  HERSCHEL. 

Dec.  24, 1826. 

DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

You  will  with  this  receive  the  only  volume  of  the 
translation  (printed  on  bad  paper,  without  the  prints,  &c., 
&c.,)  which  is  out  at  present,  and  unless  you  desire  me  in 
your  next  to  send  you  ten  copies,  I  shall  only  take  one 
which  can  serve  us  both. 

I  certainly  will  do  as  you  desire,  and  tell  you  the  amount, 
if  at  any  time  you  should  want  some  expensive  publication, 
as  our  bookseller  here  can  get  by  return  of  post  from 
Leipsic  whatever  is  ordered.  But  as  to  trifles,  I  beg  you 


208  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1827. 

will  never  think  about,  as  I  should  be  at  a  loss  for  proving 
that  you,  my  dearest  nephew,  are  daily  in  my  mind,  when 
I  am  lavishing  sums  on  nieces  and  grand-nephews,  and  nieces 
who  care  not  for  me,  nor  I  for  them.  But  enough  of  this ; 
only  write  me  sometimes  what  you  and  your  astronomical 
friends  are  doing. 

I  was  much  gratified  to  hear  that  Mr.  South  had  received 
the  medal.  Groskopff  has  seen  it  announced  in  the  papers, 
where  your  name  was  also  honourably  mentioned ;  these  are 
the  morsels  for  me  to  feed  upon,  for  here  are  no  astro- 
nomers but  one,  Dr.  Lutbmer,  who  observes  Jupiter's  satel- 
lites, as  you  may  see  by  the  Berliner  Jahrbuch,  which  I 
suppose  you  have,  as  usual,  else  I  have  got  them  from  r23 
to  '29,  and  could  send  them. 

I  must  write  a  line  yet  to  your  dear  mother  and  Miss  B., 
and  will  conclude  with  wishing  you  a  merry  Christmas  and 
a  happy  New-year  (as  the  saying  is),  and  with  loves  and  com- 
pliments wherever  they  are  due,  &c.,  &c., 

C.  HEESCHEL. 

P.S. — My  brother  is  at  present  tolerably  well,  but  I 
hardly  ever  knew  a  man  of  his  age  labouring  under  more 
infirmities,  nor  bearing  them  with  less  patience  than  he 
does  ;  the  rest  are  well  enough  !  * 

MISS  HEESCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

April,  1827. 
DEAREST  NEPHEW  ! — 

I  have  more  than  once  asked  if  you  would  have  my 
history,  but  my  question  has  never  been  answered,  and  I 
am  (though  unwillingly)  obliged  to  send  it  off  without 

having  received  your  permission 

Perhaps  I  have  told  you  nothing  but  what  you  have  known 
long  since  ;  but  as  my  thoughts  are  continually  fixed  on  the 
*  Dietrich  Herschel  died  towards  the  end  of  January,  1827. 


CHAP,  vi.]     The  first  Chapter  of  her  History.  209 

past,  I  was,  as  it  were,  conversing  with  you  on  paper,  not 
choosing  to  trust  them  to  any  one  about  me,  for  I  know  none 
who  would  understand  me,  or  whom  it  can  concern,  what 
my  own  private  opinion  and  remarks  have  always  been  about 
the  transactions  that  continually  passed  before  my  eyes. 
But  there  can  be  no  harm  in  telling  my  own  dear  nephew, 
that  I  never  felt  satisfied  with  the  support  your  father 
received  towards  his  undertakings,  and  far  less  with  the  un- 
gracious manner  in  which  it  was  granted.  For  the  last  sum 
came  with  a  message  that  more  must  never  be  asked  for. 
(Oh !  how  degraded  I  felt  even  for  myself  whenever  I  thought 
of  it !)  And  after  all  it  came  too  late,  and  was  not  suffi- 
cient ;  for  if  expenses  had  been  out  of  question,  there  would 
not  have  been  so  much  time  and  labour  and  expense,  for 
twenty-four  men  were  at  times  by  turns  day  and  night  at 
work,  wasted  on  the  first  mirror,  which  had  come  out  too 
light  in  the  casting  (Alex  more  than  once  would  have  de- 
stroyed it  secretly  if  I  had  not  persuaded  him  against  it), 
and  without  two  mirrors  you  know  such  an  instrument 
cannot  be  always  ready  for  observing. 

But  what  grieved  me  most  was,  that  to  the  last,  your 
poor  father  was  struggling  above  his  strength  against 
difficulties  which  he  well  knew  might  have  been  removed, 
if  it  had  not  been  attended  with  too  much  expense. 
The  last  time  the  mirror  was  obliged  to  be  taken  from  the 
polisher  on  account  of  some  obstacle,  I  heard  him  say  (in 
his  usual  manner  of  thinking  aloud  on  such  occasions),  "It 
is  impossible  to  make  the  machine  act  as  required  with- 
out a  room  three  times  as  large  as  this." 

But  when  all  hopes  for  the  return  of  vigour  and  strength 
necessary  for  resuming  the  unfinished  task  was  gone,  nil 
cheerfulness  and  spirits  had  also  forsaken  him,  and  his 
temper  was  changed  from  the  sweetest  almost  to  a  pettish 
one ;  and  for  that  reason  I  was  obliged  to  refrain  from 


210  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1827. 

troubling  him  with  any  questions,  though  ever  so  necessary, 
for  fear  of  irritating  or  fatiguing  him ;  else  there  was  work 
enough  cut  out  for  keeping  me  employed  for  several  years 
to  come,  such  as  making  correct  registers  of  the  sweeps  in 
which  all  Nebulee  were  to  be  laid  down  and  numbered,  com- 
plete Catalogues,  &c.  But  what  I  most  regret  is,  that  I 
never  could  find  an  opportunity  of  consulting  your  father 
about  collecting  the  observations  made  with  the  40-foot  into 
a  separate  book  from  the  journals,  into  which  they  were 
written  down  among  other  observations  made  with  the  other 
instruments  in  the  same  night.  I  know  besides  that 
many  must  have  been  lost,  being  noted  only  either  on  slates 
or  on  loose  papers,  like  those  on  the  first  discovery  of  the 
Georgian  Satellites.  Owing  to  my  not  being,  as  formerly,  the 
last  nor  the  first  at  the  desk  (generally  retiring  as  soon  as  the 
mirror  was  covered),  the  memorandums  were  often  mislaid 
or  effaced  before  I  had  an  opportunity  of  booking  them. 
But  I  ought  to  remember  that  suchlike  incomplete  observa- 
tions were  made  under  unfavourable  circumstances.  For 
instance,  the  P.  D.  clock  disordered  by  not  having  been 
used  for  some  time ;  the  timepiece  not  having  been  regulated, 
nor  every  one  of  the  out- door  motions  wanting  oiling  or  clean- 
ing ;  company  being  present ;  the  night  not  perfectly  clear ; 
and,  in  general,  the  first  night  the  instrument  is  used 
after  it  has  been  left  at  rest  for  some  time,  it  cannot  be  ex- 
pected that  all  should  go  on  without  interruption  or  ease 
without  a  good  mechanical  workman  had  spent  best  part  of 
the  day  in  looking  over  all  the  motions,  in  doing  which  your 
father  used  to  find  great  pleasure. 

But  what  I  most  lament  is,  that  between  the  interval 
before  your  coming  to  the  age  of  forming  a  proper  opinion 
of  the  instrument,  it  had  nearly  fallen  into  decay  almost  in 
all  its  parts.  But  we  have  all  had  the  grief  to  see  how 
every  nerve  of  the  dear  man  had  been  unstrung  by  over- 


CHAP,  vi.]        Sir  William's  Copy  of  Locke.  211 

exertion ;  and  that  a  farther  attempt  at  leaving  the  work 
complete  became  impossible. 

But,  by  the  description  of  the  forty-foot  telescope  given  in 
the  Philosophical  Transactions,  May  18,  1795,  it  may  be 
seen  what  a  noble  instrument  had  been  obtained  by  all  the 
exertions  described  in  my  narrative ;  but  from  that  description 
so  briefly  given  there,  no  idea  can  be  formed  with  what  ac- 
curacy and  nicety  each  part  of  the  whole  had  been  executed 
to  make  it  an  instrument  fit  for  the  most  delicate  obser- 
vations. 

P.S. — I  must  say  a  few  words  of  apology  for  the  good 
King,  and  ascribe  the  close  bargains  which  were  made 
between  him  and  my  brother  to  the  shabby,  mean-spirited 
advisers  who  were  undoubtedly  consulted  on  such  occasions ; 
but  they  are  dead  and  gone,  and  no  more  of  them  !  Sir  J. 
Banks  remained  a  sincere  well-meaning  friend  to  the  last. 

Farewell,  my  best  Nephew ! 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.    F.   W.   HERSCHEL. 

May  8,  1827. 
DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

Through   the   friendly   care    of    Mr.   D I   am 

enabled  to  send  you  the  first  and  second  volumes  of  Locke, 
the  third  volume,  I  hope,  will  yet  be  found,  and  I  shall  send 
it  by  another  opportunity.  I  know  you  will  prize  the  book 
when  you  know  that  it  was  one  of  your  father's  earliest 
treasures,  purchased  out  of  his  own  little  savings,  at  the  age 
of  18  years* — when,  along  with  his  father  and  eldest  brother, 
he  was  in  England  with  the  Hanoverian  Guard,  which  you 
will  see  by  the  date  and  name,  written  in  his  own  beautiful 
handwriting.  "When  in  1758  he  again  went  to  England,  it 
was  under  such  unpleasant  circumstances  that  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  it  to  his  mother  to  send  his  trunk  after  Mm 
to  Hamburg ;  and  she,  dear  woman,  knew  no  other  wants 

*  See  p.  10. 

p  2 


212  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1827. 

but  good  linen  and  clothing,  and  your  dear  father's  books 
and  self-constructed  globes,  &c.,  were  left  behind,  and  served 
us  little  ones  for  playthings  till  they  were  destroyed ;  but 
no  more  of  this.  You  must  excuse  an  old  woman,  especially 
such  a  one  as  your  old  aunt,  who  can  only  think  of  what  is 

past,  and  is  for  ever  forgetting  the  present 

***** 

Now,  there  is  gone  a  Herr  Von  Miuiighausen,  who  had 
asked  the  same  favour,  [that  of  being  allowed  to  take  a 
parcel  to  England]  for  they  are  all  very  desirous  of  knowing 
J.  H.,  and  would  have  called  on  me,  and  perhaps  I  might 
have  had  my  hand  kissed  once  more.  I  assure  you  it  is 
no  trifle  here  at  Hanover  to  have  one's  hand  kissed,  if  one 
cannot  count  one's  forefathers  for  sixteen  generations  back 
as  ennobled  ;  but,  alas  !  he  was  obliged  to  go  at  a  moment's 
warning  ;  but  Dr.  Gr.  gave  him  your  address,  and  I  hope 
you  will  receive  him  kindly. 

Farewell,  dear  Nephew,  &c.,  &c., 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

J.    F.   W.    HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

Between  4th  and  llth  May,  1827. 

MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

I  received  yesterday  your  packet  by  Mr.  Goltermann, 
containing  the  ten  copies  of  the  first  vol.  of  Pfaff's  transla- 
tion of  my  father's  works — with  the  plates,  which  are  really 
abominable.  However,  there  is  no  help  for  it.  I  shall 
destroy  those  of  the  Nebulae.  A  much  more  interesting 
part  of  its  contents  is  your  account  of  your  own  history,  for 
which  I  cannot  enough  thank  you,  and  it  is  really  one  of  the 
most  precious  documents  you  could  have  sent  me  ;  every 
line  of  it  affected  me  deeply.  The  point  of  view  in  which 
it  places  my  father's  character  is  truly  noble.  You  under- 
rate both  the  value  and  the  merit  of  your  own  services  in 


CHAP,  vi.]    Her  Nephew's  receipt  of  her  History.  213 

his  cause,  but  the  world  does  you  more  justice,  and  his  son 
feels  them  a  great  deal  more  than  he  knows  how  to  express. 
I  shall  preserve  this  as  the  most  precious  thing,  and  you  will 
add  to  the  obligation  you  have  conferred  on  me  by  sending 
the  papers  you  refer  to  under  the  title  of  No.  I. 

The  Journals  and  the  mettwursts  *  also  came  safely  ;  the 
Journals  contain  some  very  curious  matter  not  known  in 
England,  and  which  conies  very  opportunely  here,  where,  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  science  is  going  to  sleep. 

I  have  just  completed  a  second  Catalogue  of  double  stars, 
which  willbe  read  at  the  Astronomical  Society  (of  which  I  now 
have  the  honour  to  be  President)  on  Friday  (May  llth)  next 
(if  I  can  get  it  fairly  copied  in  time).  My  work  in  the  Be  view 
of  Nebulae  advances  slowly,  as  I  can  very  seldom  get  a  night 
or  two  at  proper  times  of  the  moon  and  year  to  sweep.  But  I 
find  your  Catalogue  most  useful.  I  always  draw  out  from  it 
a  regular  working  list  for  the  night's  sweep,  and  by  that 
means  have  often  been  able  to  take  as  many  as  thirty  or  forty 
nebulffi  in  a  sweep.  I  have  now  secured  such  a  degree  of 
precision  in  taking  the  places  of  objects  in  the  telescope,  that 
the  settling  stars  (which  I  prepare  a  list  of  each  night  and 
arrange  them  in  order  of  B.  A.  in  the  working  list)  cross 
the  wire  often  on  the  very  beat  of  the  chronometer  when 
they  were  expected,  and  not  unusually  enter  the  field  of 
view  bisected  by  the  horizontal  wire  of  the  eye-piece.  In 
short,  I  reckon  my  average  error  in  B.  A.  in  determining 
the  place  of  a  new  object  by  a  single  observation,  not  to 
exceed  one  second  of  time,  and  in  Polar  distance  a  quarter 
of  a  minute.  This  you  will  easily  perceive  to  be  a 
considerable  improvement  in  respect  of  precision,  which 
is  more  my  aim  than  it  was  my  father's,  whose  object 
was  only  discovery.  I  have  found  a  great  many  nebula? 
not  in  your  Catalogue,  and  which,  therefore,  I  suppose 
*  Meat  sausages— a  Hanoverian  delicacy. 


214  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1827. 

are  new.     But   I  won't  plague  you  any  more  with  this  at 

present. 

***** 

Believe  me,  dear  Aunt, 

Your  affectionate  Nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  H. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY    HERSCHEL. 

HAXOVER,  July  10,  1827. 
MY  DEAR  LADY  HERSCHEL, — 

It  makes  my  heart  overflow  with  gratitude  when  I 
see  so  many  worthy  people  remember  me  with  kindness, 
and  I  particularly  rejoice  that  Mrs.  Morsorn  has  borne  her 
misfortunes  with  such  resignation  so  as  to  be  still  able  to 
participate  in  the  society  of  her  friends ;  of  which  I  am, 
alas  !  through  the  great  distance,  entirely  cast  out,  and  am. 
obliged  to  trust  alone  to  myself  for  keeping  up  my  spirits, 
and  to  bear  pain  and  sickness,  or  feel  pleasure  without 
having  anybody  to  participate  in  my  feelings.  Out  of  my 
family  connections,  however,  I  can  boast  to  possess  the 
esteem  and  love  of  all  who  are  great  and  good  in  Hanover, 
but  to  a  lonely  old  woman,  who  is  seldom  able  to  go  into  or 
receive  company,  this  does  not  compensate  for  the  want  of 
sympathising  relations. 

But  I  have  now,  by  change  of  apartments,  made  myself 
quite  independent  of  anybod}T.  As  long  as  I  can  do  some- 
thing for  myself  this  will  do  very  well;  but  I  must  not 
meet  troubles  at  a  distance.  I  may,  perhaps,  be  spared  a 
long  confinement  before  I  leave  this  world,  else  such  a  thing 
as  a  trusty  servant  is,  I  believe,  hardly  to  be  met  with  in  this 
city,  which,  along  with  the  people  in  it,  are  so  altered  since 
the  French  occupation  and  the  return  of  the  military  with 
their  extravagant  and  dissipated  notions,  imbibed  when  in 


CHAP,  vi.]  Her  English  Bed.  215 

Spain  and  England,  with  their  great  pensions,  which  they 
draw  from  the  latter  country,  that  it  is  quite  a  new  world, 
peopled  with  new  beings,  to  what  I  left  it  in  1772.  Added 
to  this  comes  the  fear  of  having  my  new  little  English  bed 
(which  on  my  removal  I  made  with  my  own  hands)  burnt 
before  I  am  aware  ;  for,  figure  to  yourself  what  danger  one 
continually  must  be  exposed  to,  when,  in  the  house  where  I 
live,  seven  families  (besides  the  floor  my  sister-in-law  and  I 
occupy)  with  their  servants  and  children,  are  living,  and 
their  firing  wood  and  turf  is  all  carried  over  our  heads. 
About  a  month  before  Easter  a  great  brewery,  very  near  us, 
burnt  down,  with  many  surrounding  houses,  to  the  ground. 
I  looked  out  of  the  window,  and  the  burning  flakes  fell  on 
my  forehead  ;  besides  this,  I  have  had  four  times  the  fright 

of  fires  at  some  greater  distance. 

***** 

Your  most  affectionate  Sister, 

C.  HEESCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.   HERSCHEL. 

Aug.  1(5,  1827. 

MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

On  the  9th  I  received  the  papers  with  your  short  but 
sweet  letter,  and  according  to  your  direction  they  are  by  this 
time  at  their  destined  places,  all  but  Struve's  and  Bessel's ; 
the  latter,  I  was  obliged  to  leave  to  the  care  of  Encke,  and 
Struve's  to  Schumacher.  I  am  particularly  obliged  to  you 
for  your  second  Catalogue  of  double  and  treble  stars,  which 
on  reading  it  once  over,  makes  me  long  for  the  time  when  I 
shall  be  perfectly  at  ease  to  take  it  up  again ;  for,  by  the 
manner  in  which  you  gentlemen  now  attack  the  starry 
heavens,  it  seems  that  there  will  soon  remain  nothing  to  be 
discovered. 

You  mention  that  Mr.  Baily  intends  to  bring  Flamsteed's 


216  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1827. 

omitted  stars  into  a  Catalogue ;  I  send  you  a  few  errata,  as  I 
am  not  sure  of  having  carried  them  into  the  copy  I  left  with 
the  three  volumes  of  Flamsteed's  works.  And  in  the  list  of 
your  father's  MS.  papers,  in  the  packet  "  Auxiliary  Article," 
is  a  Catalogue  of  omitted  stars  arranged  in  order  of  E.  A.  (a 
copy  of  one  which  I  gave  to  Dr.  Maskelyne  in  1789). 
This,  may  perhaps  save  some  trouble  to  Mr.  B.  in  arranging 
them. 

Some  time  ago  Count  Kupfstein  sent  me  a  cop3r  of  Litt- 
row's  observations  to  look  at  (Part  VII.  of  forty-three 
sheets  large  folio),  which  he  publishes  at  the  order  and 
expense  of  the  Emperor.  The  copy  was  for  the  University 
of  Gottingeii ;  but  I  could  only  admire  the  fine  paper  and 
beautiful  print,  as  I  do  not  understand  the  manner  in  which 
observations  are  made  with  the  new  invented  instruments, 
for  at  the  time  I  made  a  fortnight's  visit  to  Greenwich,  in 
1798,  they  had  only  the  mural  quadrant  and  the  meridian 
passage  instruments. 

I  must  conclude  for  want  of  time ;  and,  to  say  the  truth, 
I  am  fatigued,  for  I  cannot  sit  up  for  any  length  of  time,  till 
eight  or  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when  I  find  myself 
always  the  most  fit  for  society,  or  a  little  business.  The 
weather  has  been  too  warm  for  me,  and  I  have  done 
nothing  but  sleep  in  the  mornings  and  afternoon,  and  the 
worst  is  that  everybody  goes  to  bed  between  nine  and  ten,  and 
then  I  have  no  society  but  those  I  can  meet  with  in  a  novel. 
The  few,  few  stars  that  I  can  get  at  out  of  my  window  only 
cause  me  vexation,  for  to  look  for  the  small  ones  on  the 
globe  my  eyes  will  not  serve  me  any  longer. 

Tell  your  dear  mother  she  must  not  give  me  the  slip,  for 
I  will  and  cannot  mourn  for  anyone  more  that  I  love. 

I  remain,  &c.,  &c., 

C.  HERSCHEL. 


CHAP,  vi.]         Continuation  of  her  History.  217 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.   F.  W.   HERSCHEL. 

Sept.  25,  1827. 

DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

Herewith  you  will  receive  what  I  have  called  No.  1, 
which  was  never  intended,  to  have  met  your  eye  as  it  is ;  but, 
as  contrary  to  my  expectation,  my  No.  2  was  so  cordially 
received  by  you,  I  had  intended  to  send  you  only  an 
abridgment  of  it,  because  it  contains  many  things  which 
must  be  very  uninteresting  and  almost  unintelligible  to  you 
on  account  of  your  being  unacquainted  with  the  (then) 
manners  and  customs  of  this  country,  besides  requiring  to 
remember  that  my  father  and  mother  were  born  and 
educated  some  hundred  and  twenty  years  back.  But  I 
must  send  it  as  it  is,  or  destroy  it  immediately,  for  I  feel  I 
shall  now  never  get  well  enough  for  making  any  alteration 
further  than  running  my  eye  over  it  and  adding  a  note  here 
and  there  where  necessary.  But  I  wish  not  to  leave  my 
memorandums  any  longer  to  the  chance  of  falling  into  the 
hands  of  officious  would-be  learned  ignorance,  to  furnish  a 
paragraph  in  some  newspaper  or  journal. 

I  will,  however,  save  you  and  myself  the  trouble  of 
further  apologising  for  sending  you  these  papers,  but  just 
explain  my  reason  for  taking  a  copy  of  them  with  me. 

When  I  took  my  leave  of  the  contents  of  your  father's 
libraiy,  it  was  parting  from  all  with  which  rny  heart  and  soul 
had  been  engaged  for  the  best  part  of  my  life,  and  I  could 
not  withstand  the  temptation  of  carrying  away  with  me  an 
index  for  assisting  my  memory  when  in  my  reveries  I  should 
imagine  myself  to  be  on  the  spot  where  I  took  leave  of  all 
that  had  been  most  dear  to  me. 

What  is  contained  in  No.  1  I  had  intended  for  an  ever- 
lasting pleasing  melancholy  subject  for  conversation  with 
my  brother  Dietrich,  if  I  should  go  back  again  to  the  place 


218  Caroline  Lucretia  Her sc he  I.  [1827. 

where  I  first  drew  my  breath,  and  where  the  first  twenty-two 
years  of  my  life  (from  my  eighth  year  on)  had  been  sacrificed 
to  the  service  of  my  family  under  the  utmost  self-privation 
without  the  least  prospect  or  hope  of  future  reward.  Or  in 
case  I  had  died  in  England,  it  was  to  have  been  sent  to  D., 
for  I  wished  him  to  get  a  more  correct  idea  of  our  father 
than  what  I  thought  he  had  formed  of  that  excellent  being. 

He  never  recollected  the  eight  years'  care  and  attention  he 
had  received  from  his  father,  but  for  ever  murmured  at 
having  received  too  scanty  an  education,  though  he  had  the 
same  schooling  we  all  of  us  had  had  before  him. 

I  ought  to  remember  here,  I  suppose  it  was  in  the  year 
1818,  or  perhaps  earlier,  your  father  wished  to  draw  up 
the  biographical  memorandum  you  have  in  your  possession. 
But  finding  himself  much  at  a  loss  for  the  dates  of  the 
month,  or  even  the  year  when  he  first  arrived  in  England 
with  his  brother  Jacob,  I  offered  to  bring  some  events  to 
his  recollection  by  telling  what  I  remembered  having  passed 
at  home  during  the  two  years  his  brother  was  with  him, 
with  the  proviso  not  to  criticize  on  telling  my  stoiy  in  my 
own  way.  But  not  being  very  positive  about  the  exact  date 
when  my  eldest  brother  returned,  I  wrote  to  my  brother  D. 
for  the  date  when  Jacob  entered  the  orchestra,  and  found  not 
to  have  been  much  out  in  my  reckoning.  And  from  that 
time  on,  your  father  became  more  settled,  and  could  have 
recourse  to  the  heads  of  his  compositions,  &c.,  &c.,  for  the 
dates  he  wanted  for  his  purpose. 

Of  all  that  follows  I  do  not  remember  to  have  shown 
him  a  single  line.  But  as  I  had  once  begun  the  subject  I  did 
not  know  how  or  where  to  leave  off,  and  went  on,  thinking 
my  brother  D.  might  some  time  or  other  profit  by  getting 
better  acquainted  with  what  had  passed  in  our  family  before 
his  time,  and  during  his  infancy,  till  the  death  of  his  father, 
which  happened  when  D.  was  in  his  twelfth  year,  of  which, 


CHAP.  vi. ]  Letter  to  her  Nephew.  219 

from  the  conversation  I  had  Avith  him  during  the  four  years 
between  1809  and  1813,  when  last  in  England,  I  found  he 
had  not  the  least  notion,  or  had  purposely  formed  a  very 
erroneous  one. 

But  in  the  last  hope  of  finding  in  Dietrich  a  brother  to 
whom  I  might  communicate  all  my  thoughts  of  past,  pre- 
sent, and  future,  I  saw  myself  disappointed  the  very  first 
day  of  our  travelling  on  land.  For  let  me  touch  on  what 
topic  I  would,  he  maintained  the  contrary,  which  I  soon 
saw  was  done  merely  because  he  would  allow  no  one  to 
know  anything  but  himself.  ....  Of  course,  about  these 
papers  I  could  never  have  any  conversation  with  him  nor 
anybody  else,  and  I  send  them  to  you  for  your  perusal, 
because  I  do  not  wish  to  keep  them  any  longer,  and  you 
may  put  them  in  the  fire  after  having  read  them  over. 
Adieu,  dear  Nephew,  believe  me  ever, 

Your  most  affectionate  Aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

Dec.  22,  1827. 

***** 

....  Of  Dr.  Olbers,  I  hear  frequently  through  a  sister 
and  niece  here  at  Hanover;  the  last  was  that  he  was 
lamenting  at  Captain  Miiller  not  having  brought  the  paper 
you_had  intended  for  him  ;  the  poor  man,  I  hear,  is  grown 
corpulent  and  short-breathed,  so  that  he  cannot  mount 
up  to  his  observatory  without  difficulty. 

I  heard  from  Capt.  Miiller  (what  I  had  been  thinking 
before)  that  poor  Encke  has  not  changed  his  situation  for 
the  better.  I  do  not  mean  with  regard  to  income,  for  I 
believe  his  salary  is  four  or  five  thousand  thalers  per  year, 
which  is  equal,  or  even  more,  than  that  of  a  Prime  Minister ; 
but  he  has  no  instruments.  Much  is  promised,  but  he  gets 


220  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [1828. 

nothing ;  and  besides,  his  family  is  settled  in  Gotha.     It  is 
a  pity  such  a  man  should  be  obliged  to  be  idle. 

In  my  last  to  your  dear  mother  I  wrote  nearly  all  I  had 
to  say  about  myself,  except  what  concerns  my  health,  of 
which  I  could  not  give  a  very  good  account.  Lately  I  was 
obliged  to  consult  an  oculist,  but  I  suppose  he  cannot  help 
me,  for  he  has  not  ordered  me  anything.  I  cannot,  after 
having  been  asleep,  get  my  eyes  open  again  for  a  consider' 
able  time,  this  is  attended  with  a  violent  headache  and 
giddiness — but  no  more  of  this. 

Once  you  were  asking  me  if  I  wanted  a  few  of  my  Indexes ; 
if  it  is  not  too  late  (as  you  have  given  up  the  secretaryship), 
I  would  be  glad  of  a  couple.  N.B. — A  hundred  copies 
were  promised  me  as  a  present,  and  were  not  half  of  them 
received.  The  one  I  have  by  me,  which  is  intended  for 
you,  with  my  corrections  in  it,  is  spoilt  in  the  binding ;  and 
I  should  like  to  give  one  to  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  to  put 
him  in  mind  of  the  little  old  woman  who  has  so  frequently 
been  cheered  by  his  kind  attentions. 

I  remain  your  most  affectionate  Aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

May  9th,  1828. 
MY  DEAR  LADY  HERSCHEL, 

This  is  to  be  a  letter  of  thanks,but  I  cannot  determine 
to  whom  I  am  to  allot  the  greatest  portion  of  my  thanks, 
to  you  or  Miss  Baldwin,  for  her  agreeable  letter  of  April 
15th,  in  which  so  many  interesting  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances of  mine  are  remembered.  For,  believe  me,  my  dear 
Lady  H.,  it  is  ever  with  great  reluctance  I  am  yearly  draw- 
ing on  you  for  so  considerable  a  sum,  which  in  the  end 
must  some  time  or  other  be  felt  by  my  dear  nephew ;  but 
who  would  have  thought  it,  that  I  should  last  so  long  ?  but 
now  I  am  losing  strength  daily,  and  I  cannot  expect  to  be 


CHAP,  vi.]  Her  Annuity.  221 

long  for  this  world.  I  only  say  this  by  way  of  putting  you 
in  mind  that  I  received  my  annuity  at  the  beginning  of  the 
first  half-year,  and  therefore  when  you  hear  of  my  death  all 
your  care  on  my  account  must  be  at  an  end,  for  I  leave  a 
sufficient  sum  to  defray  all  possible  expenses  attending  a 
funeral,  &c. 

But  there  is  nothing  grieves  me  more  than  that,  at  my 
leaving  England,  I  gave  myself,  with  all  I  was  worth,  to 
this  branch  of  my  family,  believing  them  (from  what  my 
brother  D.  and  their  letters  told  me)  as  many  noble-hearted 
and  perfect  beings  as  there  were  individuals.  But  though 
I  am  disappointed,  I  should  not  like  to  take  back  my 
promise,  which  could  not  be  done  without  creating  ill-will, 
and  I  am  too  feeble  to  bear  up  against  any  altercation. 

I  see  I  have  not  left  room  for  all  the  loves  and  compli- 
ments, but  I  beg  you  will  give  them  to  whoever  is  kind 
enough  to  remember, 

My  dear  Lady  Herschel, 

Your  most  affectionate  Sister, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

In  February,  1828,  Miss  Herschel's  services  to  the 
Science  of  Astronomy  were  recognized  by  the  presen- 
tation to  her  of  the  Gold  Medal  of  the  Royal  Astrono- 
mical Society. 

FROM  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

May  5,  1828. 

DEAR  AUNT, — 

Herewith  you  will  receive  the  medal,  of  whose  award 
you  will  have  read  in  the  printed  notice  I  enclosed  you 
some  ten  days  ago.  My  mother  also  begs  your  acceptance 
of  a  pair  of  bracelets,  and  begs  me  to  thank  you  for  your 
kind  and  beautiful  present  of  needlework  (which  even  I 


222  Caroline  Lucretia  Hcrsc/iel.  [1828. 

could  admire),  and  for  the  mettivursts  (which  I  fully  com- 
prehended, and  part  of  which  I  still  comprehend,  having 
regaled  on  one  for  breakfast).  My  mother  and  cousin  are 
quite  well,  and  desire  their  best  love.  Slough  stands  where 
it  did,  and  star-gazing  goes  on  well.  I  have  just  erected  a 
new  instrument  (Mr.  South's  ci-devant  large  equatorial), 

and  you  shall  hear  from  time  to  time  what  is  doing 

Your  affectionate  Nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

The  presentation  of  the  medal  is  the  natural  duty 
of  the  president  of  the  society,  but  as  Mr.  Herschel 
held  that  office  on  this  occasion,  and  had  with  charac- 
teristic modesty  "resisted,"  as  he  confesses,  the  pro- 
posed honour,  the  following  supplemental  address  was 
delivered  by  Mr.  South,  the  vice-president,  who  pre- 
sented the  medal  to  Miss  Herschel  through  her 
nephew.  It  is  an  eloquent  and  not  unworthy  tribute, 
and  an  interesting  memorial  of  the  esteem  in  which 
she  was  held  by  the  most  distinguished  body  of 
scientific  men  in  the  kingdom. 

Address  to  the  Astronomical  Society,  by  J.  South,  Esq.,  on 
presenting  the  Honorary  Medal  to  Miss  C.  Herschel,  at 
its  Eighth  General  Meeting,  February  8th,  1828. 
GENTLEMEN, — 

Our  excellent  president,  in  his  address,  has  informed 
you  of  the  appropriation  of  two  of  your  gold  medals  since 
our  last  anniversary : — a  third,  however,  has  been  decreed 
by  your  council;  and  when  it  is  known  that  Miss  Caroline 
Herschel  is  the  individual  to  whom  it  stands  adjudged,  it  is 
not  difficult  to  determine  why  the  president  has  avoided  the 
slightest  allusion  to  it. 


CHAP,  vi.]    Gold  Medal  of  Astronomical  Society.    223 

But  that  your  Council  has  not  selected  one  from  the  many 
of  its  members  infinitely  more  competent  to  do  justice  to 
the  transcendent  merits  of  that  illustrious  lady  is  most 
assuredly  matter  of  regret.  I  must  therefore  throw  myself 
upon  your  indulgence,  hoping  that  the  goodness  of  the  cause 
may  in  some  measure  compensate  for  the  inability  of  its 
advocate. 

The  labours  of  Miss  Herschel  are  so  intimately  connected 
with,  and  are  generally  so  dependent  upon,  those  of  her 
illustrious  brother,  that  an  investigation  of  the  latter  is 
absolutely  necessary  ere  we  can  form  the  most  remote  idea 
of  the  extent  of  the  former.  But  when  it  is  considered  that 
Sir  W.  Herschel's  contributions  to  astronomical  science 
occupy  sixty-seven  memoirs,  communicated  from  time  to 
time  to  the  Royal  Society,  and  embrace  a  period  of  forty 
years,  it  will  not  be  expected  that  I  should  enter  into  their 
discussion.  To  the  Philosophical  Transactions  I  must 
refer  you,  and  shall  content  myself  with  the  hasty  mention 
of  some  of  her  more  immediate  claims  to  the  distinction 
now  conferred.  To  deliver  an  eulogy  (however  deserved) 
upon  his  memory  is  not  the  purpose  for  which  I  am  placed 
here. 

His  first  catalogue  of  new  nebulce  and  clusters  of  stars, 
amounting  in  number  to  one  thousand,  was  made  from 
observations  with  the  twenty-foot  reflector  in  the  years 
1783,  1784,  and  1785.  A  second  thousand  was  furnished 
by  means  of  the  same  instrument  in  1785,  1786,  1787,  and 
1788;  while  the  places  of  500  others  were  discovered 
between  1788  and  1802.  But  when  we  have  thus  enume- 
rated the  results  obtained  in  the  course  of  sweeps  with  this 
instrument,  and  taken  into  consideration  the  extent  and 
variety  of  the  other  observations  which  were  at  the  same 
time  in  progress,  a  most  important  part  yet  remains  untold. 
Who  participated  in  his  toils  ?  Who  braved  with  him  the 


224  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [1828 

inclemency  of  the  weather  ?  Who  shared  his  privations  ? 
A  female.  Who  was  she  ?  His  sister.  Miss  Herschel  it 
was  who  by  night  acted  as  his  amanuensis  :  she  it  was  whose 
pen  conveyed  to  paper  his  observations  as  they  issued  from 
his  lips ;  she  it  wTas  who  noted  the  right  ascensions  and  polar 
distances  of  the  objects  observed;  she  it  was  who,  having 
passed  the  night  near  the  instrument,  took  the  rough  manu- 
scripts to  her  cottage  at  the  dawn  of  day  and  produced  a 
fair  copy  of  the  night's  work  on  the  following  morning ;  she 
it  was  who  planned  the  labour  of  each  succeeding  night; 
she  it  was  who  reduced  every  observation,  made  every  cal- 
culation ;  she  it  was  who  arranged  everything  in  systematic 
order;  and  she  it  was  who  helped  him  to  obtain  his  imperish- 
able name. 

But  her  claims  to  our  gratitude  end  not  here ;  as  an 
original  observer  she  demands,  and  I  am  sure  she  has,  our 
unfeigned  thanks.  Occasionally  her  immediate  attendance 
during  the  observations  could  be  dispensed  with.  Did 
she  pass  the  night  in  repose  ?  No  such  thing :  wherever 
her  brother  was,  there  you  were  sure  to  find  her.  A 
sweeper  planted  on  the  lawn  became  her  object  of  amuse- 
ment ;  but  her  amusements  were  of  the  higher  order,  and  to 
them  we  stand  indebted  for  the  discovery  of  the  comet  of 
1786,  of  the  comet  of  1788,  of  the  comet  of  1791,  of  the 
comet  of  1793,  and  of  the  comet  of  1795,  since  rendered 
familiar  to  us  by  the  remarkable  discovery  of  Encke.  Many 
also  of  the  nebulae  contained  in  Sir  W.  Herschel's  catalogues 
were  detected  by  her  during  these  hours  of  enjoyment. 
Indeed,  in  looking  at  the  joint  labours  of  these  extraordi- 
nary personages,  we  scarcely  know  whether  most  to  admire 
the  intellectual  power  of  the  brother,  or  the  unconquerable 
industry  of  the  sister. 

In  the  year  1797  she  presented  to  the  Eoyal  Society  a 
Catalogue  of  560  stars  taken  from  Flanisteed's  observations, 


CHAP,  vi.]        Her  Astronomical  Labozirs.  225 

and  not  inserted  in  the  British  Catalogue,  together  with  a 
collection  of  errata  that  should  be  noticed  in  the  same 
volume. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  her  brother,  Miss  Herschel 
returned  to  Hanover.  Unwilling,  however,  to  relinquish 
her  astronomical  labours  whilst  anything  useful  presented 
itself,  she  undertook  and  completed  the  laborious  reduction 
of  the  places  of  2,500  nebula,  to  the  1st  of  January,  1800, 
presenting  in  one  view  the  results  of  all  Sir  William 
Herschel's  observations  on  those  bodies,  thus  bringing  to  a 
close  half  a  century  spent  in  astronomical  labour. 

For  this  more  immediately,  and  to  mark  their  estimation 
of  services  rendered  during  a  whole  life  to  astronomy,  your 
Council  resolved  to  confer  on  her  the  distinction  of  a  medal 
of  this  Society.  The  peculiarity  of  our  President's  situa- 
tion, however,  and  the  earnest  manner  in  which  the  feelings 
naturally  arising  from  it  were  urged  when  the  subject  was 
first  brought  forward,  caused  your  Council  to  pause, — and 
waive  on  that  occasion  the  actual  passing  their  proposed 
vote.  The  discussion  was,  however,  renewed  on  Monday 
last,  and,  although  there  was  every  disposition  to  meet  the 
President's  wishes,  still  under  a  conviction  that  the  actual 
doing  so  would  have  been  a  dereliction  of  public  duty,  it  was 

Resolved  unanimously,  "  That  a  Gold  Medal  of  this 
Society  be  given  to  Miss  Caroline  Herschel,  for  her  recent 
reduction,  to  January,  1800,  of  the  Nebul£e  discovered  by 
her  illustrious  brother,  which  may  be  considered  as  the  com- 
pletion of  a  series  of  exertions  probably  unparalleled  either 
in  magnitude  or  importance  in  the  annals  of  astronomical 
labour."  This  vote  I  am  sure  every  one  whom  I  have  the 
honour  to  address  will  most  heartily  confirm. 

Mr.  Herschel,  in  the  name  of  the  Astronomical  Society 
of  London,  I  present  this  medal  to  your  illustrious  aunt. 
In  transmitting  it  to  her,  assure  her  that  since  the  founda- 

Q 


226  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1828. 

tion  of  this  Society,  no  one  has  been  adjudged  which  has 
been  earned  by  services  such  as  hers.  Convey  to  her  our 
unfeigned  regret  that  she  is  not  resident  amongst  us ;  and 
join  to  it  our  wishes,  nay  our  prayers,  that  as  her  former 
days  have  been  glorious,  so  her  future  may  be  happy.* 

Extract  from  the  Report  of  the  Council  of  the  Astrono- 
mical Society  to  the  Annual  Meeting,  Feb.  13,  1835.  t 

"  Your  Council  has  no  small  pleasure  in  recommending 
that  the  names  of  two  ladies,  distinguished  in  different 
walks  of  astronomy,  be  placed  on  the  list  of  honorary  mem- 
bers. On  the  propriety  of  such  a  step,  in  an  astronomical 
point  of  view,  there  can  be  but  one  voice ;  and  your  Council 
is  of  opinion  that  the  time  is  gone  by  when  either  feeling  or 
prejudice,  by  whichever  name  it  may  be  proper  to  call  it, 
should  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  the  payment  of  a  well- 
earned  tribute  of  respect.  Your  Council  has  hitherto  felt 
that,  whatever  might  be  its  own  sentiment  on  the  subject, 
or  however  able  and  willing  it  might  be  to  defend  such  a 
measure,  it  had  no  right  to  place  the  name  of  a  lady  in  a 
position  the  propriety  of  which  might  be  contested,  though 
upon  what  it  might  consider  narrow  grounds  and  false 
principles.  But  your  Council  has  no  fear  that  such  a  dif- 
ference couM  now  take  place  between  any  men  whose 
opinion  could  avail  to  guide  that  of  society  at  large ;  and, 
abandoning  compliment  on  the  one  hand,  and  false  delicacy 

*  The  author  of  this  hasty  address  feels  no  slight  gratification  in  having 
been  present  on  the  1st  June,  1821,  at  the  last  observations  with  the  twenty- 
foot  reflector,  in  which  Miss  Herschel  was  engaged.  He  remembers  also,  not 
without  regret,  but  with  becoming  gratitude,  that  the  mirror  used  for  his  im- 
provement, on  the  occasion  was  inserted,  for  the  last  time,  in  the  tube,  by 
the  hands  of  Sir  "William  Herschel. — Memoirs  Astronomical  Society,  Vol.  III., 
p.  409. 

+  This  extract,  as  it  bears  on  the  subject  of  the  recognition  of  Miss  Her- 
chel's  labours,  is  inserted  here,  though  somewhat  before  its  time. 


CHAP,  vi.]    An  Hon.  Member  of  the  R.  A.  Society.     227 

on  the  other,  submits,  that  while  the  tests  of  astronomical 
merit  should  in  no  case  be  applied  to  the  works  of  a  woman 
less  severely  than  to  those  of  a  man,  the  sex  of  the  former 
should  no  longer  be  an  obstacle  to  her  receiving  any  ac- 
knowledgment which  might  be  held  due  to  the  latter.  And 
your  Council  therefore  recommends  this  meeting  to  add  to 
the  list  of  honorary  members  the  names  of  Miss  Caroline 
Herschel  and  Mrs.  Somerville,  of  whose  astronomical  know- 
ledge, and  of  the  utility  of  the  ends  to  which  it  has  been 
applied,  it  is  not  necessary  to  recount  the  proofs "  * 

May  28th,  1828. 
DEAR  AUNT, — 

....  Before  this  reaches  you,  you  will  have  got  it 
[the  medal].  Pray  let  me  be  well  understood  on  one  point. 
It  was  none  of  my  doings.  I  resisted  strenuously.  Indeed, 
being  in  the  situation  I  actually  hold,t  I  could  do  no 
otherwise.  The  Society  have  done  well.  I  think  they 
might  have  done  letter,  but  my  voice  was  neither  asked 
nor  listened  to. 

I  ought  to  mention  that  it  became  a  matter  of  discussion 
at  the  Royal  Society  whether  one  of  the  Royal  medals  for 
the  year  should  not  be  adjudged  to  you,  but  the  rule  limiting 
the  time  within  which  those  medals  must  be  granted  being 
precise,  it  could  not  be  done  without  a  violation  of  principle. 

I  have  sent  by  Mr.  G.  a  few  copies  of  a  work  of  mine  on 
Light,  for  you  to  distribute.  I  shall  by  the  next  oppor- 
tunity (possibly  by  this}  send  some  copies  of  a  third  cata- 
logue of  double  stars,  completing  the  first  1,000.  The 
nebula?  are  advancing  rapidly ;  I  have  got  about  1,500  re- 
observed. 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

*  "  Motions  were  then  made  for  passing  these  several  resolutions,  and  the 
same  were  carried  unanimously." — Monthly  Notices,  vol.  iii.  p.  91. 

f  Of  President. 

Q2 


228  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1S28. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.    F.   W.   HERSCHEL. 

June  3,  1828. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

And  I  must  once  more  repeat  my  thanks  to  you  (and 
perhaps  to  Mr.  South)  for  thinking  so  well  of  me  as  to 
exert  yourselves  for  having  the  great  and  undeserved  and 

unexpected  honour  of  a  medal  bestowed  on  me 

Here  I  was  interrupted,  and  all  along  of  the  medal ;  for 
my  friends  are  all  coining  to  congratulate  me,  and  leave  me 
no  time  to  think  of  what  to  say  of  myself;  but  I  will  soon 
write  again,  and  for  the  present  will  only  beg  that  you  (or 
Miss  Baldwin,  for  I  dare  say  she  knows,)  will  give  me  the 
history  of  the  medal,  such  as  whose  head  it  is  which  is  on 
the  one  side  ?  (I  know  who  it  is  like  very  well)  and  if  the 
impression  is  to  be  permanent  ? 

Next,  I  wish  to  know  if  you,  or  the  Royal  Society,  or 
the  Observatory  at  Greenwich  (the  latter  I  think  must  be) 
are  in  communication  with  the  Imperial  astronomer  Littrow  ? 
If  you  have  seen  any  of  the  publications  which  are  yearly 
printed  at  the  expense  of  the  Emperor,  I  could  wish,  if  it 
is  not  too  much  trouble  to  you,  to  know  what  you  think  of 
the  work  ;  because  Count  Eupfstein,  Charge  d' Affaires,  sent 
me  the  copy  (which  was  to  go  to  Gottingen)  to  look  at,  and 
since  then  he  wants  my  opinion  about  it.  And  I  know 
no  more  about  it  than  that  it  is  a  book  printed  on  fine 
paper,  large  folio,  of  195  pages,  with  seven  plates  of  the 
New  Observatory  made  out  of  the  old  one,  built  at  the 
top  of  the  seventh  story  of  the  University  at  Vienna, 
a  description  of  the  store  of  instruments,  thirty-five 
articles  including  rules,  two  spirit-levels  and  a  case  of 
drawing  instruments ;  tables  of  precession,  aberration,  and 
nutation  of  ninety-four  of  the  principal  stars  for  the 


CHAP,  vi.]  Thanks  for  Bracelets.  229 

beginning  of  the  year  1835  ;  but  I  forgot  the  rest ;  but  so 
much  I  remember,  that  the  whole  book  is  filled  with  these 
ninety-four  stars,  of  which  I  cannot  comprehend  the  use,  but 
I  say  nothing  about  it,  and  hum  and  ha  when  the  good  man 
begins  to  talk  about  it.  Dear  nephew,  adieu ! 

I  am,  your  affectionate  aunt, 

CAE.  HERSCHEL. 

I  have  but  just  time  to  thank  my  dear  Lady  Herschel,  in 
the  first  place  of  giving  me  the  great  pleasure  of  seeing  her 
own  handwriting  once  more,  which  to  me  continues  much 
plainer  than  all  the  beautiful  new-fashioned  Italian  hands. 
Secondly,  I  return  my  best  thanks  for  the  beautiful  brace- 
lets ;  I  am  going  to  let  them  be  admired  this  evening,  as  I 
am  obliged  (though  very  unwell)  to  go  to  a  tea-party,  and  it 
will  be  no  small  trouble  to  me  to  make  myself  fine  enough 
for  not  disgracing  your  present. 

When  next  I  write  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  hurried  so,  and 
be  able  to  tell  you  how  it  goes  here  at  Hanover.  Last  week 
I  heard  five  songs  by  Madame  Catalani  at  the  theatre  here ; 
but  of  this,  more  in  my  next. 

With  many  compliments  to  Miss  B., 

Believe  me,  your  most  affectionate  sister, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

June  23,  1828. 

DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  have  but  just  time  to  write  a  few  lines  to  accom- 
pany the  Journals  Nos.  II.  and  III.,  therefore  I  must  beg 
you  to  excuse  the  unconnected  manner  in  which  I  am 
writing,  for  it  must  require  some  time  before  I,  and  many  a 
one  beside  me,  will  recover  from  the  fright  we  were  put  in 
on  the  21st,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  by  a  thunder- 


230  Caroline  Lucretia  HersckeL  [1828. 

storm,  accompanied  with  a  shower  of  hail  of  such  an  un- 
common size  as  weighing  three  quarters  of  a  pound  ;  some 
speak  of  still  larger.  I,  of  course,  could  only  judge  of 
them  at  a  distance  by  the  look,  as  my  carpet  was  covered  by 
them  of  all  sizes  and  shapes  ;  I  noticed  one  in  particular 
of  the  form  of  a  bottle  of  india-rubber  (as  it  looks  before 
the  neck  is  cut  off),  but  was  at  the  time  incapable  of  going 
near  enough,  for  I  was  obliged  to  keep  out  of  the  direction 
where  they  entered,  forcing  the  fragments  of  glass  to  my 
sofa  (where  I  was  just  going  to  take  my  solitary  dinner)  at 
the  opposite  end  of  the  room,  which  is  twenty-one  feet 
distant  from  the  window.  The  houses  look  deplorable,  and 
the  streets  are  still  glittering  with  powdered  glass.  Ex- 
presses were  sent  instantly  by  the  magistrates  in  all  direc- 
tions to  the  neighbouring  towns  and  glass-houses  for  work- 
men and  materials.  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  get 
my  lodging-room  mended  after  lying  only  two  nights  without 
anything  but  a  shutter. 

Our  gardens  and  country  houses  about  Hanover  have 
had  the  same  fate.  This  happened  the  day  before  a  Volks 
Fest,  which  the  Hanoverian  Burgers  keep  for  three  days 
yearly,  and  for  which  all  preparations  were  made,  and  is 
now  by  many  kept  with  a  heavy  heart. 

But  I  must  not  lose  this  opportunity  of  mentioning  what 
I  forgot  in  my  last,  which  is  to  beg  you  will  (when  I  am  no 
more)  take  my  medal  under  your  protection,  and  give  it  a 
place  among  those  you  have  of  your  father's  and  your  own. 
I  will  take  care  that  it  shall  be  delivered  to  you  along  with 
those  books  which  I  keep  yet  as  companions,  though  it  is 
seldom  I  can  look  into  them,  for  most  of  my  time  I  am 
obliged  to  waste  in  lying  on  the  sofa,  where  I  try  to  for- 
get myself  by  reading  nonsense,  over  which  I  soon  go  to 
sleep. 

I  have  the  two  dullest  months  before  me,  for  the  plays 


CHAP,  vi.]  About  the  Medal.  231 

and  concerts  do  not  begin  again  till  autumn ;  all  families  are 
either  gone  to  the  baths  or  at  their  villas,  &c.  IVly  friends 
are  all  some  dozen  years  younger  than  myself,  and  I  cannot 
always,  or  but  seldom,  accept  their  invitations.  Haupt- 
mann  Miiller  took  twice  tea  with  me  since  Christmas.  He 
heard  from  Encke  that  a  great  astronomical  meeting  was  to 
take  place  at  Berlin,  to  which  Mr.  South  had  been  invited ; 
if  there  should  be  any  truth  in  this,  and  that  you  and  Mr. 
South  were  inseparables,  I  might  hope  to  see  you  once  more ; 
but  I  must  not  think  of  anything  at  the  distance,  agitations 
I  cannot  bear  any  longer,  I  only  exist  by  attempting  to  be 
indifferent  about  all  human  events,  and  hardly  anything 
can  yet  give  me  pleasure  but  to  hear  that  you,  my  dear 
nephew,  and  those  who  are  dear  to  you,  are  well  and  happy. 

Yours  very  affectionately, 

C.  HEKSCHEL. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

Aug.  21, 1828. 
MY  DEAR  NEPHEW, — 

***** 

What  you  tell  me  in  the  short  note  dated  May  24th, 
which  accompanied  the  three  copies  of  my  Index,  concern- 
ing the  medal,  has  completely  put  me  out  of  humour  with 
the  same ;  for  to  say  the  truth,  I  felt  from  the  first  more 
shocked  than  gratified  by  that  singular  distinction,  for  I 
know  too  well  how  dangerous  it  is  for  women  to  draw  too 
much  notice  on  themselves.  And  the  little  pleasure  I  felt 
at  the  receipt  of  the  few  lines  by  your  hands,  was  entirely 
owing  to  the  belief  that  what  was  done  was  both  with 
your  approbation  and  according  to  your  recommendation. 
Throughout  my  long-spent  life  I  have  not  been  used  or  had 
any  desire  of  having  public  honours  bestowed  on  me  ;  and 


232  Caroline  Lucretia,  HerscheL  [1828. 

now  I  have  but  one  wish,  that  I  may  take  your  good  opinion 
with  me  into  my  grave. 

I  have  no  time  or  inclination  to  think  much  on  this  sub- 
ject, else  I  could  say  a  great  deal  about  the  clumsy  speech  of 
the  V.  P.  Whoever  says  too  much  of  me  says  too  little  of 
your  father  !  and  only  can  cause  me  uneasiness. 

Mr.  South  I  have  seen  only  twice,  or  perhaps  three 
times,  and  that  was  in  yours  and  your  dear  father's  presence, 
and  to  all  conversation  between  you  and  Mr.  South  I 
could  only  be  a  listener,  and,  seeing  you  so  well  agree 
together  I  congratulated  myself  on  your  having  found  a 
friend  possessing  much  knowledge  of  what  passes  in  com- 
mon life,  of  which  a  young  and  deep  mathematician  and 
philosopher  has  had  no  time  of  laying  in  a  great  stock. 

I  heard  you  would  make  a  visit  to  Struve  at  Dorp  at 
this  summer  together,  and  I  concluded  I  should  then  have 
had  a  call  on  the  way  home.  But  on  that  account  I  feel 
now  relieved  from  the  painful  prospect  of  a  final  parting 
from  you  once  more,  though  it  will  cost  me  many  melan- 
choly hours  to  bring  that  to  paper  which  I  yet  wish  for 
you  to  know.  But  I  am  too  much  destroyed  at  present 
to  explain  myself  any  further,  and  will  only  say  that  by 
the  Michaelmas  messenger  I  will  send  every  scrap  of 
paper  which  I  have  yet  kept  solely  for  my  amusement  and 
for  assisting  my  memory.  You  may  look  them  over  at 
some  leisure  [time]  and  then  destroy  them ;  for  I  go  not 
one  night  to  bed  but  thinking  it  may  be  the  last  of  my 

life I  have  a  numerous  and  valuable  acquaintance, 

but  I  keep  all  my  difficulties  to  myself,  for  I  was  ever  care- 
ful not  to  injure  a  relation,  or  one  with  whom  I  am  con- 
nected, in  the  opinion  of  others,  by  saying  what  I  think  of 
them. 

I   must  prepare  to  pay  a  visit  at  the  villa  of  a  friend 


CHAP,  vi.]  On  her  Diary.  233 

of  mine  where  I  have  twice  this  summer  refused  an  in- 
vitation. 

So,  God  bless  you,  my  dearest  nephew,  and  be  assured 
of  my  affectionate  regard. 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

FROM  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

LONDON,  Dec.  9,  1828. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

I  received  your  most  valuable  diary  and  all  the  papers 
you  sent  me  by  Mr.  Goltermann  quite  safe,  and  I  most  sin- 
cerely thank  you  for  them.  You  speak  of  "  exposing  your- 
self "  by  presenting  them  to  me,  but  I  am  so  far  from  con- 
sidering it  in  that  light,  that  I  feel  proud  to  possess  them, 
and  if  anything  could  increase  the  regard  and  esteem  I 
entertain  for  their  writer,  it  would  have  been  their  perusal. 
Your  promised  Christinas  "scraps  and  lucubrations "  will 
not  be  less  welcome. 

The  Journals  also  came  safe  and  well  to  hand,  but  in  the 
series  you  have  sent  me  I  cannot  find  that  for  December, 
1827,  which  prevents  my  binding  up  the  set.  If  you  can 
procure  this  and  enclose  it  with  the  next,  I  shall  be  very 
glad. 

I  trust  to  my  cousin  Mary  for  telling  you  all  the  news  of 
family  matters.  Astronomy  goes  on  pretty  well.  My 
sweeps  accumulate.  I  am  very  sorry  that  anything  I  said 
should  have  put  you  out  of  humour  with  the  medal,  which 
was  a  well-merited  distinction,  and  so  far  as  the  Astrono- 
mical Society  is  concerned,  most  honourably  conferred.  All 
voices  are  agreed  on  that,  and  on  the  propriety  of  the 
thing,  so  pray  don't  suffer  yourself  to  be  put  out  of  conceit 
with  it  by  my  nonsense,  which  after  all  only  went  to  the 
manner,  not  the  matter.  Our  friend  S.  means  well,  but 
wants  discretion. 


234  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1829. 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

26,  LOWER  PHILLIMOKE  PLACE, 

Jan.  14,  1829. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

I  received  your  two  letters  at  once,  and  I  cannot 
enough  thank  you  for  the  kind  consideration  which  prompted 
your  offer,  for  I  will  not  yet  call  it  your  gift,  as  I  cannot 
really  consent  to  such  a  robbery.  If  you  are  bent  on  giving 
me  something  truly  valuable — infinitely  more  so  than  money, 
which  (though  I  am  not  rich,  and  am  now  less  so  by  some 
annual  hundreds  than  I  was,  and  am  about  voluntarily  *  to 
incur  a  still  further  diminution  of  income)  yet,  thank  God, 
I  am  in  want  of  nothing  and  would  rather  spare  to  you  than  let 
you  spare  to  me.  But  if  you  want  to  give  me  what  I  shall  really 
prize  highly,  let  it  be  your  portrait  in  oils  of  the  size  of  my 
father's.  Let  me  send  back  the  money,  and  employ  part  of 
it  in  engaging  a  good  Hanoverian  artist  to  paint  it.  You 
often  tell  me  your  time  hangs  heavy,  so  here  I  am  furnish- 
ing you  with  a  refuge  from  ennui,  and  when  you  know  how 
much  pleasure  it  will  give  me  to  see  your  likeness  hanging 
by  my  father's,  and  that  you  can  without  inconvenience  or 
difficulty  (and  now  without  expense)  do  it,  I  entreat  you  not 
to  refuse.  I  know  what  you  will  urge  against  it,  but  you 
undervalue  yourself  and  your  own  merits  so  much  that  I 
will  not  allow  it  any  weight. 

My  mother  is  ill  with  the  gout,    but  I  hope  it  is  not 
going  to  be  a  severe  fit,  as  she  is  already  on  the  mend. 
Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

March  3,  1829. 

MY  DEAR  LADY  HERSCHEL, — 

I  long  to  congratulate  you  on  the  happy  occasion  of 

*  An  allusion  to  his  approaching  marriage,  when  he  would  resign  his 
Fellowship. 


CHAP,  vi.]         On  her  Nephew's  marriage.  235 

seeing  your  dear  son  so  happily  settled,  but  am  almost 
afraid  your  late  illness  ....  may  have  prevented  you 
from  being  present  at  the  performance  of  the  ceremony  on 
which  the  future  happiness  of  my  dear  nephew  is  so  much 
depending. 

I  must  beg  you  will  thank  Miss  B.  for  sparing  me  so  much 
of  her  time  by  her  circumstantial  accounts  of  the  interesting 
event,  and  hope  she  will  continue  to  write,  though  I  am  not 
able  to  answer  punctually,  for  I  am  not  free  from  pain  for 
one  hour  out  of  the  twenty-four,  and  so  it  has  been  for  a 
long  time  past  with  me.  N.B. — She  mentions  my  nephew 
having  written  me  a  letter  informing  me  of  his  future  hap- 
piness, but  such  I  have  not  received,  and  perhaps  he  may 
only  have  intended  it,  or  it  is  lost 

The  following  hint  is  only  to  you  as  a  dear  sister,  for  as 
such  I  now  know  you  : — 

All  I  am  possessed  of  is  looked  upon  as  their  own,  when 
I  am  gone;  the  disposal  of  my  brother's  picture  is  even 
denied  me — it  hangs  in  Mrs.  H.'s  drawing-room,  where  a 
set  of  old  women  play  cards  under  it  on  her  club  day.  .  .  . 

I  have  no  great  matters  to  leave,  a  few  articles  of  furni- 
ture which  I  had  the  trouble  to  provide  myself  with  (though 
I  paid  for  furnished  lodgings),  would  not  produce  a  capital  if 
sold.  It  is  only  pictures,  books,  telescopes,  globes,  &c.,  I 
regret  should  come  into  hands  of  those  who  know  not  the  value 
of  them ;  but  Miss  Beckedorff  will  take  my  sweeper  under 

her  protection  ;  but  enough  of  this I  hope,  above 

all,  to  have  soon  the  pleasure  to  hear  that  you  will  hold  out 
with  me  now  that  we  are  entering  on  our  eightieth  year. 

But  as  long  as  God  pleases  I  shall  remain 

Your  most  affectionate  sister, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 


236  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [1829. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

March  3,  1829. 

MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  have  spent  four  days  in  vain  endeavours  to  gain 
composure  enough  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  joyful  sensation 
Miss  B.'s  (and  your  P.S.)  letter  of  February  5th  has  caused 
me.  But  I  can  at  this  present  moment  find  no  words  which 
would  better  express  my  happiness  than  those  which  escaped 
in  exclamation  from  my  lips,  according  to  Simeon.  See  St. 
Luke,  cap.  ii.,  v.  29  :  "  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant 
depart  in  peace  !  " 

I  have  now  some  hopes  of  passing  the  few  remainder  of 
my  days  in  as  much  comfort  as  the  separation  from  the  land 
where  I  spent  the  greatest  portion  of  my  life,  and  from  all 
those  which  are  most  dear  to  me,  can  admit.  For  from  the 
description  Miss  B.  has  given  me  of  the  dear  young  lady  of 
your  choice,  I  am  confident  my  dear  nephew's  future  happi- 
ness is  now  established. 

I  beg  you  will  give  my  love  to  your  dear  lady,  and  best 
regards  to  all  your  new  connections  where  they  are  due  in  the 
best  terms  you  can  think  of,  for  I  am  at  present  too  unwell 
for  writing  all  I  could  wish  to  say. 

I  have  suffered  much  during  this  severe  winter,  and  have 
not  been  able  to  leave  my  habitation  above  three  or  four 
times  for  the  last  three  months,  and  feel,  moreover,  much 
fatigued  by  sitting  eight  times  within  the  last  ten  days  to 
Professor  Tielemann  for  having  my  picture  taken,  which  he 
did  at  my  apartment,  and  now  he  has  taken  it  home  to 
finish.  You  will  receive  it  with  the  Easter  messenger,  but 

I  must  send  it  without  frame I  must  conclude,  for 

I  wish  to  say  a  few  words  to  your  dear  mother.  It  is  now 
between  eleven  and  twelve,  and  perhaps  you  are  at  this 
very  moment  receiving  the  blessing  of  Dr.  Jennings,  in 


CHAP,  vi.]  Her  Portrait.  237 

which  I  most  fervently  join  by  saying,  "  God  bless  you 
both  !  " 

Your  happy  and  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

TO  THE  SAME. 

March  30,  1829. 

DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  have  received  rny  picture ;   by  the  enclosed  card 

you  will  see  the  name  of  the  artist Whatever  you 

may  think  about  my  looking  so  young,  I  cannot  help ;  for 
two  of  the  days  I  was  sitting  to  him,  I  received  the  agree- 
able news  from  England — one  day  Lady  H.'s  likeness  was 
thrown  in  my  lap  (Mr.  Tielemann  taking  it  out  of  the  box), 
and  four  days  after,  the  account  of  your  approaching  happi- 
ness arrived.  No  wonder  I  became  a  dozen  years  younger 
all  at  once.  I  was  sitting  about  seven  hours  in  so  many 
days  in  my  own  apartments ;  but  there  is  but  one  voice, 
that  the  picture  looks  life  itself. 


TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 


Xov.  16,  1829. 
* 


I  was  unwilling  to  be  troublesome  with  a  repetition  of 
the  detail  of  my  infirmities,  to  which  I  have  of  late  to  add 
cramps  and  rheumatic  complaints,  which  rob  me  of  many 
hours'  sleep  and  the  usual  nimbleness  in  walking,  which  has 
hitherto  gained  me  the  admiration  of  all  who  know  me ; 
but  the  good  folks  are  not  aware  of  the  arts  I  make  use  of, 
which  consist  in  never  leaving  my  rooms  in  the  daytime, 
except  I  am  able  to  trip  it  along  as  if  nothing  were  the 
matter. 

I  am  glad  you  are  removed  again  to  Kensington,  where 


238  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1S2&. 

you  are  within  a  few  hours'  reach  of  all  who  are  dear  to  you 
(a  blessing  I  never  enjoyed  throughout  all  the  years  of  ray 
long  life).  But  I  must  get  in  another  strain;  only  when  I 
am  writing  to  you  (in  particular)  I  cannot  help  comparing 
the  country  in  which  I  have  lived  so  long,  with  this  in 
which  I  must  end  my  days,  and  which  is  totally  changed 
since  I  left  it,  and  not  one  alive  that  I  knew  formerly, 
except  my  dear  Mrs.  Beckedorff ;  through  her  means  I  have, 
however,  been  introduced  to  many  valuable  ladies  of  rank 
and  amiable  qualities,  but  to  keep  up  their  acquaintance  I 
am  obliged  to  sacrifice  my  ease  and  required  quiet,  which  I 
have  still  vanity  enough  to  do  sometimes. 

A  fortnight  ago  I  paid  my  respects  to  the  Landgrafin  of 
Hesse-Homburg  (who  looks  younger  and  handsomer  than 
when  we  saw  her  as  a  bride  at  Slough  the  day  before  she 
left  Windsor);  it  was  by  her  desire  I  made  the  visit,  and  I 
was  honoured  with  a  salute  at  parting,  by  way  of  showing 
we  were  friends  (as  she  was  pleased  to  say),  and  a  desire  to- 
repeat  my  visit  soon. 

....  I  wish  also  to  know  on  what  subject  the  late- 
Alex.  Stewart  may  have  wrote,  for  that  he  was  an  author  I 
know,  but  I  never  saw  any  of  his  works  and  might  most 
likely  not  have  understood  them,  for  you  know  I  had  no- 
time  to  read  anything  for  my  improvement,  but  was  obliged 
to  be  poring  for  ever  over  astronomical  tables  and  cata- 
logues; &c. 

Another  thing  I  wish  Miss  B.  to  inform  me  of.  The 
30th  November  the  Royal  Society  opens  with  choosing  their 
President  and  Council ;  I  wish  for  a  list  of  their  names,  and 
likewise  of  the  next  change  of  the  Astronomical  Society  of 
London.  But  do  not  wonder  at  my  being  so  inquisitive 
about  these  things.  I  cannot  think  of  anything  else  which 
could  interest  me  more  than  to  see  the  names  of  learned 
men  on  paper,  especially  when  I  see  any  of  those  I  have 


CHAP,  vi.]  Letters.  239 

known  among  them.  Besides,  as  in  December  our  concerts 
begin,  where  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  on  seeing  me,  gene- 
rally makes  some  inquiry  after  nay  nephew  and  family,  and 
what  is  going  on  in  the  philosophical  world,  one  does  not 
always  like  to  stand  with  one's  mouth  open,  or  to  say  I 
cannot  tell !  .  .  .  . 

Mrs.  and  Miss  Beckedorff  send  their  kind  love 

Mr.  Q.,  63,  he  owns  himself,  marries  a  young  lady  in  her 
teens,  but  she  owns  23 ;  she  could  not  withstand  his  pretty 
equipage.     He  is  grown  very  old  and  nasty,  and  good  for 
nothing  but  to  injure  his  children  and  grand-children. 
God  be  with  you,  niy  dear  Lady  H. 

Believe  me  your  most  affectionate  sister, 

C.  HEKSCHEL. 

TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

HANOVER,  January  11, 1830. 
MY  DEAEEST  NEPHEW, — 

I  am  sorry  it  was  not  in  my  power  to  send  a  letter 
by  way  of  announcing  the  Journals,  &c.,  which  yon  will,  I 
hope,  receive  soon  by  the  messenger  who  left  Hanover  the 
27th  of  December.  I  have  been  very  ill  and  confined  to 
my  room  now  three  weeks,  but  it  seems  der  Wiirg  Engel*  ist 
noch  einmal  voriiber  gegangen,  at  which  I  am  very  glad, 
because  I  wish  to  be  a  little  better  prepared  for  making  my 
exit  than  I  am  at  present. 

I  intend  to  amuse  myself  between  this  and  Easter  with 
collecting  and  packing  up  those  books  which  were  to  be 
sent  to  you  after  my  death,  and  perhaps  if  I  have  withstood 
this  terrible  winter  I  may  hav.e  the  pleasure  of  hearing  that 
you  have  received  them  safe,  and  live  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 
few  months  more,  in  which  I  hope  to  hear  of  the  happy 
increase  to  your  family,  and  prosperity  in  general. 

So  I  am  to  be  godmother  !  with  all  my  heart !  I  am  now 
*  The  Destroying  Angel  has  passed  away. 


240  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel. 

so  enured  to  receiving  honours  in  my  old  age,  that  I  take 

them  all  upon  me  without  blushing 

Jan.  IZth. — No  letter  for  me  yet!  and  no  news,  excpet 
that  the  Landgrafin  of  Hesse-Homburg  sent  me  yesterday  a 
very  handsome  fur  mantle  to  wear  when  I  go  to  the  play, 
with  a  message  that  if  I  did  not  put  it  on,  by  way  of  saving 
it,  the  next  thing  she  sent  me  would  be  a  rod.  I  am  accused 
of  having  been  clothed  too  thin,  for  which  I  have  been  suf- 
fering these  last  three  weeks I  will  give  my  opinion, 

and  in  style  of  a  critic,  and  you  will  find  yourself  not  to 
come  off  quite  free  from  blame.  You  have  represented  me 
as  a  goddess,  whereas  I  have  done  nothing  but  what  I 
believe  to  be  right;  and  wherever  I  did  wrong,  it  was 
because  I  knew  no  better ! 

MISS  HEKSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

HANOVER,  June  18,  1830. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

This  letter  will  go  by  to-day's  post,  which  I  believe 
is  the  last  before  the  messenger  leaves  Hanover,  and  Lega- 
tions Bath  Haase  has  promised  to  direct  the  box  for  me,  so 
that  it  is  to  be  called  for  at  Mr.  Goltermann's  either  by 
yourself,  or  somebody  who  will  look  to  it,  that  it  may  come 
safely  to  your  hands.  And  I  will  give  you  here  a  list  of 
the  contents  of  the  box,  by  which  you  will  see  that  I  must 
be  very  anxious  till  I  know  that  it  is  safely  come  to  hand, 
especially  as  I  was  obliged  to  have  the  box  made  very  slight 
on  account  of  saving  size  and  weight, 
Contents : — 

Wollaston's  Catalogue. 

Bode's  Catalogue. 

My  Index  to  Flamsteed's  Observations. 

Herschel's  and  South's  Observations,  bound  in  red 
morocco. 


CHAP,  vi.]  A  Box  of  Gifts.  241 

Logarithmic  Tables  by  Taylor. 

Seventy-two  Papers  of  your  father's,  in  five  volumes. 

The  parcel  directed  for  my  niece  contains  ornaments 
which  I  am  afraid  will  soon  be  wanted  for  a  general  mourn- 
ing, but  I  am  told  they  may  be  worn  at  any  time.  Miss 
Beckedorff  chose  them  for  me  ;  my  direction  was  they  should 
be  pretty,  and  not  of  English  manufacture,  and  not  larger 
than  Avhat  might  be  put  in  the  space  which  I  showed  her. 
I  am  only  sorry  I  could  not  find  anything  that  might  please 
your  dear  mother,  for,  to  judge  by  myself,  we  want  now  only 
ease,  quiet,  and  patience  to  bear  the  pains  and  infirmities 
attendant  on  our  age  ;  and  we  are  too  far  asunder  for  doing 
more  than  wishing  one  another  the  above-mentioned  quali- 
ties. 

I  had  intended  to  have  sent  my  medal  along  with  the 
books,  but  since  you  have  presented  me  with  the  handsome 
miniature  of  your  dear  Margaretta,  from  which  I  cannot 
part  as  long  as  I  live,  I  have  mentioned  already  to  Dr. 
Groskopff  that  the  medal,  miniature,  and  my  gold  watch 
[the  gift  of  her  grandfather  in  1774],  are  to  be  sent  to  my 

grand-niece  and  namesake,  C.  H. 

***** 

I  do  not  like  to  send  empty  paper,  but  I  must.  Time 
falls  short,  and  I  am  tired  already  with  the  thought  of  the 
long  walk  I  have  to  take  to  cany  this  letter,  for  I  must  see 
Haase  once  more,  and  it  is  attended  with  great  difficulty  to 
get  so  heavy  a  box  over  at  present. 

God  bless  you,  dear  nephew, 

Says  your  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 


242  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.         [isso-issi. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

HANOVER,  Oct.  27,  1830. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  see  by  my  memorandum-book  that  I  sent  a  letter 
to  your  dear  mother  on  the  20th  August,  partly  in  answer 
to  one  of  Miss  Baldwin's,  which  contained  the  melancholy 
account  of  Miss  Isabella  [Stewart's]  dangerous  state  of 
health.  I  have  ever  since  been  very  uneasy,  and  wishing 
for  more  cheering  information,  because  I  know  what  a 
drawback  it  would  be  on  the  happiness  of  all  your  dear 
connection  if  you  should  lose  her,  besides  the  interruption 
it  must  cause  in  the  hitherto  cheerful  correspondence  in 
which  even  my  dear  niece  took  the  pen  to  join  in  affording 
me  the  only  comfort  I  am  yet  capable  of  receiving 

Tell  your  dear  Margaret  that  the  very  day  on  which  the 
letter  arrived,  in  which  she  requested  some  hair,  I  sent  for 
the  hair-dresser  and  made  him  cut  off  all  which  was  useless 
to  me,  leaving  plenty  for  a  toupee  and  a  little  curl  in  the 
poll.  But  I  repented  not  having  kept  a  few  out  of  the 
plait,  which  I  might  have  sent  in  a  letter,  as  I  understand  it 
is  designed  for  a  talisman  against  the  evils  of  this  hurly- 
burlying  world.  But  I  consoled  myself  with  the  thoughts 
that  no  harm  could  possibly  assail  the  dear  little  creature  as 
long  as  she  is  under  the  care  of  her  affectionate  and  excel- 
lent mother,  leaving  a  loving  father  out  of  the  account. 

Dr.  Groskopff  has  been  zum  Bitter  ernannt  by  his  present 
Majesty.  So  was  Dr.  Miikry  last  week.  If  all  is  betitled 
in  England  and  Germany,  why  is  not  my  nephew,  J.  EL,  a 
lord,  or  a  wycount  at  least  (query)  ?  General  Komarzewsky 
used  to  say  to  your  father,  Why  does  not  he  (meaning  King 
George  III.)  make  you  Duke  of  Slough  ? 


CHAP,  vi.]  Her  Nephews  Book.  243 

MISS  HEBSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  ESQ. 

March,  1831. 

MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

If  it  was  not  high  time  to  congratulate  you  011  your 
birthday — of  which  I  most  heartily  wish  you  may  enjoy 
many  returns  in  uninterrupted  and  increasing  happiness — I 
might  have  still  deferred  to  thank  you  for  your  kind  letter 
and  the  valuable  present  of  your  book.  I  intend  to  follow 
your  mother's  example  to  read  it  "  from  end  to  end,"  which 
I  was  hitherto  not  able  to  do  on  account  of  my  dim  eyes ; 
but  now  the  days  are  getting  longer  I  think  I  see  better, 
and  to  judge  by  the  few  pages  I  have  read,  that  so  far  from 
making  me  go  to  sleep,  it  will  be  an  antidote  against  a 
propensity  for  doing  so  in  the  daytime. 

I  much  regret  my  inability  to  acknowledge  my  dear 
niece's  letter  in  such  a  manner  as  might  encourage  a  corre- 
spondence with  me,  but  it  is  difficult  to  write  in  a  cheerful 
strain  when  one  is  continually  in  the  dismals.  I  do  all  I 
can  to  keep  up  my  spirits  under  a  daily  increase  of  my  in- 
firmities, and  have  been  best  part  of  the  winter  confined  to 
my  rooms.  My  complaint  is  incurable,  for  it  is  a  decay  of 
nature,  and  nine  days  after  your  birthday  I  am  eighty-one. 
What  a  shocking  idea  it  is  to  be  decaying  !  decaying  !  But 
never  mind — if  I  am  decaying  here,  there  will  be,  as  Mrs. 
Maskelyne  once  was  comforting  me  (on  observing  my  grow- 
ing lean),  "  the  less  corruption  in  my  grave  !  " 

22?i<i. — Some  weeks  ago  I  wrote  as  above,  which  I  in- 
tended as  a  preface  to  my  dying  speech,  with  intention  to 

give  you  a  few  hints  concerning ,  and  indeed  I  may  say 

of  all  my  German  relations,  except  the  Knipping  family. 
If  I  did  not  fear  that  some  of  them  would,  after  my  decease, 
introduce  themselves  as  troublesome  correspondents  to  you, 
I  would  rather  write  about  something  else  just  now,  and 
indeed  I  had  better  drop  the  subject,  for  you  will  know,  I 


244  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel. 

suppose,  how  to  rid  yourself  of  a  pestering  fool  by  answering 
coolly,  or  not  at  all. 

23rd,  afternoon. — Yesterday  I  was  interrupted  again,  and 
the  whole  morning  of  the  present,  which  I  had  intended  to 
spend  with  you  at  Slough,  has  again  been  taken  up  with 
gabbling  with  my  radical  servant.  But  the  day  after  Easter 
I  get  another,  and  I  hope  I  shall  have  better  luck ;  but  till 
then  I  am  not  mistress  of  my  time,  therefore  will  hasten  to 
inform  you  that  Mrs.  Beckedorif  is  packing  up  a  parcel  for 

me,  which  is  going  from  here  the  day  after  Easter 

The  packet  contains  a  tablecloth,  with  twelve  napkins  (the 
cloth  is  eight  yards  long,  Mrs.  B.  says),  which  I  hope  my 
dear  niece  will  do  me  the  pleasure  to  accept  as  a  remem- 
brance of  her  old  aunt. 

Your  book  *  I  have  read  as  far  as  page  150,  and  met  with 
nothing  but  what  I  clearly  can  comprehend,  and  promise 
myself  much  pleasure  in  reading  the  rest,  which  hitherto  I 
have  been  prevented  to  do  by  being  continually  interrupted, 
and  besides  not  being  able  to  read  many  pages  at  a  time 
before  the  lines  run  one  into  another. 

My  dear  niece  said  in  her  letter  to  me  your  book  would 
cause  a  sensation,  and  so  it  has,  as  I  hear  from  all  quarters. 
I  am  told  it  has  been  translated  into  German  from  a, French 
translation,  and  much  [all  in  admiration]  is  appearing  in 
Gelehrten  Anzergen,  which  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  get 
a  sight  of.  ....  I  must  give  over  and  defer  writing  tih1  I 
am  provided  with  pen,  ink,  and  paper.  The  first  thing  my 
radical  servant  did  when  she  came  to  me  was  to  break  the 
bottle  [containing]  the  ink  of  my  own  making,  which  was  to 

have  lasted  me  all  my  life-time First  and  foremost, 

give  my  love  to  your  dear  mother,  and  believe  me,  ever  your 
most  affectionate  aunt, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

*  Discourse  on  the  study  of  Natural  Philosophy. 


CHAP.  vi.  j  Letter  to  her  Niece.  245 

• 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  MRS.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVEE,  May  14,  1831. 

0  !  my  dearest  niece,  where  shall  I  find  words  which  can 
express  my  thanks  to  you  for  writing  me  such  an  interesting 
letter,   at  a  moment  when  you  were  suffering  from  indis- 
position ! 

***** 

May  18tJi. — Dear  niece,  how  are  you  now  ?  I  hope  so  far 
well  enough  to  read  what  I  think  necessary  to  say  in  answer 
to  yours  of  May  2nd.  I  was  glad  to  see  that  you  think  the 
table-linen  pretty,  but  I  tremble  on  seeing  that  you  puzzle 
yourself  about  sending  me  anything  in  return.  Nothing 
would  distress  me  more  than  receiving  anything  from 
England  besides  such  dear  letters  as  I  have  hitherto  been 
blessed  with,  for  I  am  provided  with  even  more  than  is 
necessary  to  appear  in  the  best  circle  of  society,  whenever 
my  feebleness  will  permit  me  to  go  from  home,  and  I  feel  no 
small  regret  at  leaving  so  many  good  things  among  those 
who  do  not  want  it,  or  ever  cared  for  me.  Now,  this  is  once 
for  all !  and  you  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  go  by  what  dear 
Herschel  says — he  knows  me,  I  see,  better  than  I  thought 
he  did. 

1  have  something  to  remark  about  what  you   call  my 
letters,  which  were  to  be  deposited  in  the  letter  case.     I 
was  in  hopes  you  would  have  thrown  away  such  incoherent 
stuff,  as  I  generally  write  in  a  hurry  at  those  moments  when 
I  am  sick  for  want  of  knowing  how  it  looks  at  home,  and 
not  to  let  it  rise  in  judgment  against  my,  perhaps,  bad 
grammar,  bad  spelling,  &c.,  for  to  the  very  last  I  must  feel 
myself  walking  on  uncertain  grounds,  having  been  obliged 
to  learn  too  much  without  any  one  thing  thoroughly ;  for 
my  dear  brother  William  was  my  only  teacher,  and  we  began 
generally  with  what  we  should  have  ended ;  he,  supposing 


246  Caroline  Litcretia,  Herschel. 

I  knew  all  that  went  before.  Perhaps  I  might  have  done 
so  once,  but  my  memory  he  used  to  compare  with  sand,  in 
which  eveiything  could  be  inscribed  with  ease,  but  as  easily 
effaced.  Some  time  hence  you  will  see  a  book*  in  which  I 
transcribed  such  lessons  as  my  brother  was  obliged  to  give 
me  at  such  times  when  I  was  to  set  about  some  calculations 
of  which  I  knew  not  much  about.  I  shall  this  summer 
collect  every  scrap  of  that  kind — some  written  by  my 
brother,  and  some  penned  down  as  they  flowed  from  his 
lips,  and  some  even  incomplete,  which  were  intended  to  be 
given  more  correct  when  at  leisure.  I  bought  a  very  hand- 
some portfolio  for  this  purpose,  and  had  my  nephew's  new 
seal  engraved  upon  the  lock. 

I  should  not  have  thought  of  troubling  my  dear  nephew 
or  you  with  looking  over  these  fragments,  but  I  cannot  part 
with  remembrances  of  times  long  gone  bj*,  so  long  as  life  is 
in  me  ;  but  for  fear  I  should  not  have  at  the  last  moment 
the  power  of  burning  them,  I  will  keep  them  ready  for  being 
sent  off  to  Slough,  for  nothing  of  the  kind  shall  be  seen  by 
unhallowed  eyes 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  June  4,  1831. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

Just  now  I  received  yours  of  May  22nd,  and  the  next 
post  will  not  go  from  here  till  the  7th,  and  I  wish  the  wind 
may  be  favourable  that  you  may  be  soon  made  easy  about 
the  £50,  for  which  I  beg  you  will,  according  to  custom,  give 
the  above  receipt  to  your  dear  mother.  And  you  may  as 
well  add  my  heartfelt  thanks ;  for  what  good  can  it  do 
troubling  her  with  my  letters,  knowing  the  weakness  in  her 
hands  will  not  permit  her  answering  them 

*  See  p.  72,  1786. 


CHAP,  vi.]  Her  Grave. — Paganini.  247 

....  I  have  laid  apart  for  every  possible  expense  which 
can  occur  at  my  exit.  Six  years  ago  I  had  a  vault  built  in 
the  spot  where  my  parents  rest.  The  ground  is  mine 
auf  ewig  (for  ever). 

You  have  made  me  completely  happy  for  some  time  with 
the  account  you  sent  me  of  the  double  stars ;  but  it  vexes 
me  more  and  more  that  in  this  abominable  city  there  is  no 
one  who  is  capable  of  partaking  in  the  joy  I  feel  on  this 
revival  of  your  father's  name.  His  observations  on  double 
stars  were  from  first  to  last  the  most  interesting  subject ;  he 
never  lost  sight  of  it  in  his  papers  on  the  construction  of 
the  heavens,  &c.  And  I  cannot  help  lamenting  that  he 
could  not  take  to  his  grave  with  him  the  satisfaction  I  feel 
at  present  at  seeing  his  son  doing  him  so  ample  justice  by 
endeavouring  to  perfect  what  he  could  only  begin 

TO  MRS.  HERSCHEL. 

HAXOVER,  August  11,  1831. 

....  I  wish  Paganini  may  make  some  stay  yet  in 
England,  that  you,  or  my  nephew  at  least,  may  hear  him. 
The  English  cannot  be  more  frantic  about  him  than  the 
Hanoverians  were.  He  filled  our  play-house  twice  at 
double  price,  and  though  some  part  of  the  orchestra  had 
been  thrown  into  parquet,  still  gentlemen  were  scattered 
among  the  lamps  and  squeezed  in  among  the  performers  on 
the  stage.  You  will  think  me  the  maddest  of  the  mad 
when  I  tell  you  that,  after  spending  three  parts  of  each  day 
in  pain  and  misery,  I  make  one  of  the  audience  twice  a 
week,  if  possibly  I  can  hold  up  my  head  ;  for  then  I  am  lulled 
into  forgetfulness  of  my  severed  situation  from  all  what  was 
or  is  still  dear  to  me,  and  amuse  myself  sometimes  with 
having  my  vanity  tickled  by  the  notice  which  is  taken  of  my 
being  or  not  being  present.  In  The  Sun  of  July  13  is  a 


248  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [issi. 

description  of  Paganini's  face  and  looks,  which  I  could  not 
have  given  better  myself  after  having  had  some  conversation 
with  him  (through  an  interpreter)  ;  on  coming  one  evening 
at  the  end  of  a  play  out  of  my  box,  I  found  some  gentlemen 
waiting  to  introduce  him  to  me,  which  I  believe  was  partly 
done  to  give  the  people  an  opportunity  to  see  him. 

I  am  reading  all  the  Parliamentary  speeches  as  given  in 
The  Sun,  and  there  I  meet  with  some  excellent  ones  by  a 
Sir  James  Mackintosh  ;  pray  is  he  any  connexion  of  your 
family  ?     In  the  paper  of  July  6th  I  saw  a  quotation  (by  a 
speaker,  Mr.  E.  Lytton  Bulwer,)  from  a  celebrated  philoso- 
pher (meaning  our  oicn  J.  Herschel)  who  had  felicitously 
observed  that  "  the  greatest  discoverer  in  science  can  do  no 
more  than  accelerate  the  progress  of  discovery."  .... 
I  remain,  my  dear  niece, 
Your  most  affectionate 

CAK.  HERSCHEL. 

The  following  letter,  from  the  celebrated  Encke,  is 
one  of  the  few  preserved  which  belong  to  this  period, 
and  gives  graceful  expression  to  the  high  esteem  in 
which  she  was  held  : — 

FROM  PROFESSOR  ENCKE  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

BERLIN,  Aug.  17,  1831. 

MADAME, — 

I  feel  great  pleasure  in  informing  you  that  the  parcel 
which  has  been  forwarded  to  me  through  your  kindness  is 
safely  arrived  here,  and  has  been  delivered  to  Professor 
Mitscherlich,  according  to  the  directions  given  by  your 
celebrated  nephew,  J.  Herschel. 

I  hardly  know,  madame,  how  to  return  you  my  thanks 
for  the  trouble  you  have  so  kindly  taken  in  transmitting  the 
parcel  to  me.  It  would,  indeed,  have  been  an  irretrievable 


CHAP,  vi.]          Letter  from  Prof.  Encke.  249 

loss  to  have  been  deprived  of  the  excellent  treatise  written 
by  your  eminent  nephew,  had  it  not  reached  its  destination. 
Allow  me,  madaine,  to  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to 
pay  my  respects  to  a  lady,  whose  name  is  so  intimately 
connected  with  the  most  brilliant  astronomical  discoveries 
of  the  age,  and  whose  claims  to  the  gratitude  of  every  as- 
tronomer will  be  as  conspicuous  as  your  own  exertions  for 
extending  the  boundaries  of  our  knowledge,  and  for  assist- 
ing to  develope  the  discoveries  by  which  the  name  of  your 
great  brother  has  been  rendered  so  famous  throughout  the 
literary  world. 

I  am,  with  great  esteem  and  regard,  madaine, 

Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

T.  F.  ENCKE. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Oct.  25,  1831. 
MY  DEAB  SIR  JOHN, — 

But  mind,  you  are  still  my  dear  nephew,  and  will  be 
so  good  as  to  give  the  above  to  your  dear  mother.  With 
this  last  sum,  I  have  actually  received  since  I  am  here  a 
thousand  pounds ;  a  sum  which  I  had  no  idea,  (nor  I  am 
sure  your  father  neither)  you  would  have  been  burdened  with 
so  long,  for  when  I  left  England  I  thought  my  life  was  not 
worth  a  farthing.  But  no  more  of  this  for  the  present.  .  .  . 

You  promised  me  another  Catalogue  of  double  stars,  but 
I  suppose  you  have  had  no  time  to  arrange  them.  But  do 
not  observe  too  much  in  cold  weather.  Write  rather  books 
to  make  folks  stare  at  your  profound  knowledge 

Loves  and  compliments  to  all  whom  ive  love,  and  God 
bless  my  dear  nephew,  says 

Your  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

P.S. — I  received  Miss  B.'s  letter  on  the  16th.     It  gave 


250  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1832. 

me  infinite  pleasure  to  see  that  Babbage  and  Brewster  have 
also  been  honoured  with  notice.  As  for  the  news  of  my  dear 
nephew's  appointment,  she  came  too  late,  for  on  the  9th  I 
was  honoured  by  a  note  written  by  the  Duke  of  Cambridge's 
own  hands,  informing  me  of  it. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  JOHN  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  December  25,  1831. 

DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

More  than  two  months  are  elapsed  since  I  was  made 
happy  by  your  dear  letter  of  October  15th  ....  I  hope 
that  perhaps  some  good  account  is  on  its  passage  and  may 
reach  me  before  the  rivers  are  frozen  up,  as  at  this  time  of 
the  year  the  posts  are  often  interrupted. 

I  have  of  late  been  very  little  from  home,  except  two 
evenings  in  the  week  to  the  play,  for  I  cannot  walk  the 
streets  without  being  led,  as  I  cannot  trust  my  eyes  to  avoid 
obstacles,  besides  a  total  loss  of  strength ;  so  that  the  chief 
connection  I  keep  up  with  this  world  depends  on  what  I  by 
imperfect  glimpses  can  gather  from  the  newspaper  and  a 
little  talk  sometimes  with  Mrs.  Beckedorff.  But  a  few 
weeks  ago  I  exerted  myself,  fearing  if  I  delayed  much 
longer  I  might  not  be  able  at  all  to  pay  my  respects  to  our 
good  Duchess  of  Cambridge,  and  I  wished  to  make  good  a 
blunder  I  had  committed  two  years  ago,  when  I  was  con- 
versing with  her  at  the  Landgrafin's  for  half  an  hour 
together,  taking  her  all  the  while  to  be  an  officer's  lady,  as 
she  came  accompanied  by  her  brother,  the  Prince  of  Hesse, 
who  wore  a  moustache.  It  is  the  case  in  general,  that  I 
do  not  know  my  most  intimate  friends  except  by  their 
voices.  I  was,  however,  very  much  gratified  by  my  visit. 
A  lady,  who  is  in  the  habit  of  going  to  Court,  left  my  name 
along  with  her  own  with  the  lady-in-waiting,  and  the  next 
Sunday  we  were  appointed  to  be  there  at  half-past  one  (a 


CHAP,  vi.]     Last  Illness  of  Lady  Herschcl.  251 

very  inconvenient  hour  for  me,  for  I  only  begin  to  be  alive 
when  other  folks  go  to  sleep).  But  no  reception  could  be  more 
friendly.  I  was  made  take  my  place  by  her  on  the  sofa,  and 
after  some  conversation,  the  little  Princess  Augusta  was 
called  to  tell  me  that  she  had  seen  you  at  Slough  ;  you  had 
shown  her  the  telescope  and  described  how  it  was  moved  by 
the  handle  round  about.  I  asked  her  if  she  had  seen  the 
little  girls.  The  Duchess  explained  that  her  call  had  been 
unexpected,  and  regretted  that  she  had  not  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  coming  to  Slough  herself.  Then  the  Princess  was 
sent  to  call  her  father,  whom  I  presented  with  }Tour  book, 
and  he  went  to  fetch  his  spectacles,  and  was  much  pleased 
with  the  subject,  saying,  "  I  shall  read  it,  for  I  Eke  such 
things."  After  I  had  read  the  whole  book  myself — mind,  I 
say  the  whole,  though  you  recommended  me  to  read  only 
the  first  and  last  chapters — and  knowing  no  one  who  is 
worthy  to  look  into  it,  I  had  it  handsomely  bound  and 
wrote  in  the  top  margin  "  To  His  Royal  Highness,  the 
Duke  of  Cambridge."  At  the  side  of  Sir  Francis  Bacon 
stands  "from  "  and  in  the  margin  at  the  bottom,  "  Caroline 
Herschel,  aunt  of  the  author."  By  this  means,  I  know  it 
secured  from  contamination  in  the  Duke's  library,  where 
anybody  who  is  desirous  of  reading  it  will  find  it. 

December  26<7t. 
MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

So  far  I  wrote  last  night,  thinking  to  fill  this  page 
to-day,  with  such  news  as  I  should  like  to  communicate  to 
my  nephew  if  he  was  present ;  but  now  all  is  fled  from  my 
memory,  for  my  dear  sister  is  ill,  and  perhaps  still  in  danger, 
and  my  only  trust  is  in  your  goodness  of  sending  me  a 
speedy  account,  which  may  confirm  the  hope  you  seem  to 
entertain  of  her  recovery.  For  there  is  nothing  I  so 
ardently  desire  as  to  be  spared  the  pain  of  mourning  for  a 


252  Caroline  Lucretia,  Herschel.  [1S32. 

single  individual  of  those  friends  I  have  in  England,  and 
how  much  more  it  would  affect  me  to  lose  one  so  nearly 
connected,  and  within  a  few  months  of  my  own  age,  it  may 
be  easily  imagined  ....  Next  to  listening  to  the  conversa- 
tion of  learned  men,  I  like  to  hear  about  them,  but  I  find 
myself,  unfortunately,  among  beings  who  like  nothing  but 
smoking,  big  talk  on  politics,  wars,  and  such  like  things. 
Of  our  German  astronomers,  I  have  lately  heard  nothing ; 
but  that,  perhaps,  is  owing  to  Encke  having  had  the  cholera, 
but  of  which  he  soon  recovered.  Gauss  has  been  long  un- 
happily situated  by  losing  his  second  wife,  who  had  been 
long  lingering  .... 

....  I  beg  once  more  for  an  early  assurance  of  my  dear 
sister's  recovery. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  JOHN  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVEE,  Jan.  20, 1832. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

My  dear  niece's  and  your  letter  of  January  3rd,  have 
indeed  answered  your  kind  intentions,  for  the  painful  com- 
munication of  your  last  found  me  prepared,  and  enabled  me 
to  break  the  black  seal  with  tolerable  composure,  and  I 
found  no  small  consolation  from  your  description  of  the  easy 
ending  of  your  dear  departed  parent. 

At  this  moment,  I  am  incapable  of  saying  anything  of 
myself.  I  know  it  cannot  be  long  before  I  shall  follow  the 
dear  departed,  and  my  pen  would  trace  nothing  but  lamen- 
tations at  the  prospect  that  my  remains  will  not  be  joined 
in  rest  by  the  side  of  those  with  whom  I  lived  so  long. 

But  I  beg  and  trust  you  will  continue  to  bless  me  with 
your  good  opinion  and  approbation,  until  the  close,  for  that 
I  have  hitherto  been  in  possession  of  the  same,  I  conclude 
from  the  kind  letters  I  receive  from  your  own  hands 


CHAP,  vi.]         Enters  her  eighty-third  year.  253 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVEK,  March  14,  1832. 
MY  DEAEEST  NIECE, — 

Your  precious  letter,  which  I  received  this  morning, 
has  relieved  my  mind  from  the  fear  that  some  ill  might  have 
befallen  my  dear  friends,  because  in  my  solitude  the  time 
between  January  7th  and  March  14th,  seems  to  be  an  age  ; 
besides,  the  last  melancholy  letters  required  some  soothing 
subject  to  think  on,  for  I  do  nothing  else  but  think  of  the 
spot  where  I  once  was  and  never  can  be  again. 

But  now  all  is  well ;  your  dear  letter  will  make  me  happy 
for  some  time  to  come,  and  in  my  next  I  will  more  fully 
reply  to  it,  when  I  hope  to  be  more  composed  than  I  am 
just  now,  as  the  day  after  to-morrow  will  be  my  birthday, 
when  I,  perhaps,  enter  on  my  eighty-third  year.  I  am 
always  at  the  return  of  that  day  what  one  may  call  "  hipt," 
and  therefore  must  destroy  my  thoughts  any  how  as  well  as 
I  can. 

I  kept  my  dear  nephew's  birthday  last  week,  the  7th  of 
March,  by  thinking  of  you  throughout  the  whole  day. 
When  I  was  at  dinner,  I  made  my  maid  stand  opposite  to 
me,  and  pouring  her  out  a  glass  of  wine,  made  her  say,  Sir 
John  Herschel,  lebe  hoch !  (for  ever). 

But  I  must  hasten  to  say  that  which  I  wish  you  to  know 
as  soon  as  possible,  which  is,  to  beg  of  all  things  not  to  send 
the  parcel  the  good  Miss  B.  intended  for  me.  I  suppose  it 
may  consist  of  some  dress  of  my  dear  departed  sister  .... 
I  beg  your  acceptance  of  it  for  a  remembrance  of  us  both  ; 
it  would  vex  me  to  add  anything  I  set  store  on,  only  to 
leave  it  to  those  I  cannot  esteem. 

I  am  much  obliged  to  my  dear  nephew  for  sending  the  few 
pages  announcing  the  publications  of  the  Royal  Society.  It 


254  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1832. 

is  only  such  morsels  as  these  which  keep  up  a  desire  for 
living  any  longer.  But  the  premium  of  the  King  of  Denmark's 
medal,  for  the  discovery  of  telescopic  comets,  provokes  me 
beyond  all  endurance,  for  it  is  of  no  use  to  me.  One  of  my 
eyes  is  nearly  dark,  and  I  can  hardly  find  the  line  again  I 
have  just  been  tracing  by  feeling  on  paper. 

Pray  do  not  forget  me  when  my  nephew's  recension  of 
Mrs.  Somerville's  works  makes  its  appearance 

TO  SIR  J.    F.  W.    HERSCHEL. 

HANOVEI:,  April  20,  1832. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

*-*•*•** 

M}'  dear  niece  has  promised  me  your  article  *  on 
the  writings  of  Mrs.  Somerville.  I  hope  she  will  not  forget 
it,  nor  you  the  Catalogue  of  double  stars.  Such  things 
make  me  very  happy,  but  of  any  expensive  publications  I 
would  not  wish  you  to  throw  away  upon  me  now;  it  makes 
me  only  grudge  to  think  of  having  to  leave  them  in  the 
hands  of  blockheads.  But  if  you  have  anything  for  Gottin- 
gen,  Encke,  or  Bessel,  it  amuses  me  to  forward  it.  Olbers 
has  been  dangerously  ill  for  some  time ;  they  tell  me  he  is  too 
fat,  and  lives  too  well. 

I  only  write  this  by  way  of  announcing  the  parcel,  that 
you  may  inquire  for  it  should  it  not  come  to  hand  in  due 
time,  else  I  am  very  tired,  and  must  yet  make  up  the  parcel, 
and  I  want  to  show  myself  once  more  to-morrow  evening  at 
the  Oratorio,  as  it  is  for  the  poor,  and  will  be  the  last  per- 
formance this  season 

EXTRACT  FROM  A  LETTER  OF  SIR  JOHN  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  June  19,  1832. 

....     I  found  niy  aunt  wonderfully  well  and  very  nicely 
and  comfortably  lodged,  and  we  have  since  been  on  the  full 
*  In  the  Quarterly  Review. 


CHAP,  vi.]  Letter  from  Hanover.  255 

trot.  She  runs  about  the  town  with  me  and  skips  up  her 
two  flights  of  stairs  as  light  and  fresh  at  least  as  some  folks 

I  could  name  who  are  not  a  fourth  part  of  her  age 

In  the  morning  till  eleven  or  twelve  she  is  dull  and  weary, 
but  as  the  day  advances  she  gains  life,  and  is  quite  "fresh 
and  funny  "  at  ten  or  eleven,  p.m.,  and  sings  old  rhymes,  nay, 

even  dances  !  to  the  great  delight  of  all  who  see  her 

....  It  was  only  this  evening  that,  escaping  from  a 
party  at  Mrs.  Beckedorff  's,  I  was  able  to  indulge  in  what 
my  soul  has  been  yearning  for  ever  since  I  came  here — a 
solitary  ramble  out  of  town,  among  the  meadows  which 
border  the  Leine-strom,  from  which  the  old,  tall,  sombre- 
looking  Markt-thurm  and  the  three  beautiful  lanthorn- 
steeples  of  Hanover  are  seen  as  in  the  little  picture  I  have 
often  looked  at  with  a  sort  of  mysterious  wonder  when  a 
boy  as  that  strange  place  in  foreign  parts  that  my  father 
and  uncle  used  to  talk  so  much  about,  and  so  familiarly. 
The  likeness  is  correct,  and  I  soon  found  the  point  of  view. 
Yesterday,  being  the  anniversary  of  Waterloo,  there  was 
a  great  military  spectacle  here  in  a  large  esplanade,  where 
there  is  erected  a  tall  and  very  pretty  column,  with  a 
bronze  "  Victory  "  at  the  top,  hopping  on  one  leg.  A  few 
guns  were  fired,  a  sermon  preached,  the  veil  of  the  statue 
(shown  for  the  first  time)  pulled  oif  by  the  Duke  of  Cam- 
bridge, and  a  good  dinner  eaten  by  350  personages,  of 
which  number  I  had  the  honour  to  be  one  unit,  in  a  vast 
saloon  in  the  Herrenhauser  Palace,  about  the  length, 
breadth,  and  height  of  St.  George's  Hall,  at  Windsor,  the 
Duke  presiding  and  giving  the  toasts,  &c.,  in  honour  of 
the  Waterloo  heroes.  The  saloon  was  ornamented  most 
curiously  with  guns,  swords,  and  pikes,  arranged  in  patterns, 
and  with  Waterloo  trophies,  and  a  panoramic  view  of  the  field 
of  Waterloo  in  compartments.  No  ladies  were  admitted  to 
the  table,  and  (what  say  you  to  the  gallantry  of  the  Hano- 


256  Caroline  Lzicretia  Herschel.         [1832-1833. 

verian  militarj^  ?)  there  was  no  ball  in  the  evening,  nor  any 
the  slightest  provision  for  the  amusement  or  participation  of 
the  fair.  So  Mars  and  Venus,  I  suppose,  have  had  a 
"tiff!" 

ADIEU. 

TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Dec.  4,  1832. 
MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

I  shall  in  future,  when  I  have  anything  to  say  to  my 
dear  nephew  address  myself  to  you,  well  knowing  his  time 

is    too   precious    for    spending    even    on    reading 

Thank  him  most  heartity  for  the  "  Edinburgh  Review,"  and 

the  description  of  the  wonderful  machine But  here 

is  the  grievance — I  cannot  possibly  read  the  Review,  my 
sight  is  almost  lost,  and  I  must  wait  till  Miss  Beckedorff  or 

somebody  can  read  to  me Dr.  Tias,  who  travelled 

through  Hanover,  called  on  me  to  day.  He  talked  strangely 
about  my  nephew's  intention  of  going  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  Mr.  Hausmann  told  me  some  weeks  ago  that  the 
Times  contained  the  same  report,  to  which  I  replied,  "It  is 
a  lie  ! "  but  what  I  heard  from  Dr.  Tias  to-day  makes  me 
almost  believe  it  possible.  Ja !  if  I  was  thirty  or  forty 
years  younger,  and  could  go  too  ?  in  Gottes  nahmen  !  But 
I  will  not  think  about  it  till  you  yourself  tell  me  more  of  it, 
for  I  have  enough  to  think  of  my  cramps,  blindness,  sleep- 
less nights,  &c. 

TO  SIR  J.  F.   W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  March  30,  1833. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

Ever  since  the  6th  of  March,  the  day  on  which  I 
received  my  dear  niece's  of  the  26th  of  February,  I  have 


CHAP,  vi.]  Her  Life  in  Hanover.  257 

been  enabled  to  dispel  by  its  comfortable  contents  the 
gloomy  reflections  with  which  I  am  on  the  return  of  your 
and  my  birthdays  assailed.  But  being  obliged  to  spend 
such  days  alone,  at  a  distance  from  all  who  are  dear  to  us ; 
or,  what  Avould  be  worse,  in  the  presence  of  beings  of  un- 
congenial feelings,  one  is  apt  to  fall  again  into  the  dismals, 
which  the  return  of  the  late  snow  and  frosty  weather  pre- 
vented my  taking  recourse  to  my  usual  remedy,  which  is  to  " 
turn  all  grievances  into  a  joke.  Your  birthday  I  celebrated 
exactly  like  that  of  1832,  viz.,  after  dinner  I  jingled  glasses 
with  Betty,  and  made  her  say,  "Eslebe  Sir  John  !  hoch!* 
hurrah  ! "  She  went  in  the  kitchen  to  wash  the  dishes,  and 
I  with  a  book  (a  silly  novel)  in  my  hand  on  the  sofa  asleep ! 

I  begin  to  be  confused,  and  had  rather  say  nothing  of  the 
thousand  things  which  are  running  in  my  head,  and  which 
all  must  be  said  within  the  next  six  months.  As  yet  I  can 
follow  your  steps  and  proceedings,  for  I  read  the  papers — the 
Globe — and  saw  that  in  June  is  the  meeting  in  Cambridge. 
....  From  these  papers  I  also  see  how  all  my  valuable 
acquaintances  drop  off  one  after  another.  Captain  Kater 
has  lost  his  wife,  the  fine  singer ;  Mrs.  Parry ;  Lady  Har- 
court ;  your  dear  mother,  are  gone — the  latter  three  of  my 
own  age,  and  I  must  hold  out ! 

TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  August  1,  1833. 

***** 

I  have  now  the  pleasure  of  thanking  my  nephew  for 
his  valuable  book  of  astronomy,  having  actually  received  it 
by  yesterday's  post,  and  by  a  kind  letter  from  Professor 
Schumacher.  I  learn  that  I  may  yet  hope  to  see  the 
promised  Catalogue  of  nebula  and  double  stars,  to  the 

*  Sir  John  for  ever  ! 


258  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [1833. 

perusal  of  which  I  look  forward  as  a  solace  during  the  time 
you  will  be  on  your  way  far,  far  from  us.  But  these 
treasures  cause  me  no  little  thinking  about  in  whose  hands 
I  shall  leave  them  when  I  cannot  see  them  any  longer,  but 
cannot  think  of  anyone  I  should  like  to  leave  them  in  pre- 
ference to  the  Duke  of  Cambridge. 

I  cannot  find  words  which  would  express  sufficient  thanks 
to  my  dear  nephew  for  his  last  letter,  every  line  of  which 
conveys  a  comfort. 

•****•* 

P.S. — Dear  Nephew,  as  soon  as  your  instrument  is  erected 
I  wish  you  would  see  if  there  was  not  something  remarkable 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  Scorpion  to  be  found,  for  I  remem- 
ber your  father  returned  several  nights  and  years  to  the 
same  spot,  but  could  not  satisfy  himself  about  the  uncom- 
mon appearance  of  that  part  of  the  heavens.  It  was  some- 
thing more  than  a  total  absence  of  stars  (I  believe).  But 
you  will  have  seen  by  the  register  that  those  lower  parts 
could  only  be  marked  half  swept.  I  wish  you  health  and 
good  success  to  all  you  undertake,  and  a  happy  return  to  a 
peaceful  home  in  old  England.  God  bless  you  all ! 

TO  THE  SAME. 

Sept.  6,  1833. 
MY  DEAR  NIECE, — 

Eight  days  are  already  gone  since  the  arrival  of  your 
dear  letter  of  August  21st,  and  I  can  hardly  muster  up  com- 
posure enough  at  this  moment  to  reply  to  it,  because  my 
ideas  are  still,  what  they  ever]  have  been,  more  occupied 
with  future  or  past  events  than  what  passes  immediately 
about  me.  At  present  my  thoughts  are  wholly  fixed  on  the 
busy  scenes  with  which  you  are  at  present  surrounded,  and 
regretting  that  I  am  not  with  you  to  afford  you  any  assis- 


CHAP,  vi.]  Retrospection.  259 

tance,  or  to  take  charge  of  my  nephew's  workshops,  as  I 
used  to  do  of  his  father's  when  absent ;  or  that  it  is  not 
possible  to  shake  off  some  thirty  years  from  my  shoulders 
that  1  might  accompany  you  on  your  voyage. 

In  answer  to  your  query  about  my  nephew's  building  a 
grotto  of  coals  I  must  plead  ignorance,  but  have  no  doubt 
many  an  edifice  of  that  kind  has  daily  been  erected  and 
erased  without  my  being  present,  for  my  dear  nephew  was 
only  in  his  sixth  year  when  I  came  to  be  detached  from  the 
family  circle.  But  this  did  not  hinder  John  and  /  from  re- 
maining the  most  affectionate  friends,  and  many  a  half  or 
whole  holiday  he  was  allowed  to  spend  with  me,  was  dedi- 
cated to  making  experiments  in  chemistry,  where  generally 
all  boxes,  tops  of  tea-canisters,  pepper-boxes,  teacups,  &c., 
served  for  the  necessary  vessels,  and  the  sand-tub  furnished 
the  matter  to  be  analysed.  I  only  had  to  take  care  to  ex- 
clude water,  which  would  have  produced  havoc  on  my  car- 
pet. And  for  his  first  notion  of  building  I  believe  he  is 
indebted  to  me,  for  it  was  on  his  second  or  third  birthday 
when  I  lifted  him  in  the  trenches  to  lay  the  south  corner- 
stone of  the  building  which  was  added  to  the  original  house 
at  Slough.  It  must  have  been  the  second  year  of  his  age, 
for  I  remember  I  was  obliged  to  use  a  deal  of  coaxing  to 
make  him  part  with  the  money  he  was  to  lay  on  the  brick. 

About  the  same  time,  when  one  day  I  was  sitting  beside 
him,  listening  to  his  prattle,  my  attention  was  drawn  by 
his  hammering  to  see  what  he  might  be  about,  and  found 
that  it  was  the  continuation  of  many  days'  labour,  and  that 
the  ground  about  the  corner  of  the  house  was  undermined, 
the  corner-stone  entirely  away,  and  he  was  hard  at  work 
going  on  with  the  next.  I  gave  the  alarm,  and  old  John 
Wiltshire,  a  favourite  carpenter,  came  running,  crying  out, 
"  God  bless  the  boy,  if  he  is  not  going  to  pull  the  house 
down  !  "  (Our  John  was  this  man's  pet,  he  taught  him  to 

s  2 


260  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1833. 

handle  the  tools).     A  bricklayer  came  directly  with  brick 
and  mortar  to  mend  the  damage. 

I  was  called  to  my  solitary  dinner  just  when  I  was  going 
to  give  you  a  few  specimens  of  my  nephew's  poetry ;  I  have 
some  by  me,  composed  when  about  eight  or  nine  years  old, 
in  a  most  shocking  handwriting ;  but  generally  about  this 
time  I  am  so  sleepy  that  I  think  it  will  be  best  to  give  you 
the  continuation  in  a  posthumous  letter  from  C.  H.  to  Lady 
M.  B.  Herschel,  to  be  delivered  to  her  on  her  return  from 
the  Cape 

If  I  only  live  long  enough  to  have  the  assurance  of  your 
all  being  well  and  safely  got  to  the  Cape,  I  will  lay  down 
my  head  in  peace. 

My  paper  is  not  filled,  but  there  is  not  time  for  writing 
more,  nor  do  I  like  to  think  about  the  present ;  but  about 
a  month  ago  I  began  a  day-book  again,  which  I  was  in  the 
habit  of  keeping  when  in  England,  and  with  the  contents  of 
that  I  intend  to  fill  my  posthumous  letter  to  you. 

God  bless  you,  my  dear  niece  ....  and  with  my  love 
to  my  dear  nephew  and  yourself, 
I  remain, 

Your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

TO  PROFESSOR  SCHUMACHER. 

Dec.  11,  1833. 

DEAR  SIR, — 

By  recollecting  your  former  obliging  kindness  to  me, 
I  am  encouraged  once  more  to  intrude  on  your  valuable 
time  by  transcribing  part  of  my  nephew's  last  letter,  dated 
from  Portsmouth,  November  10th : — "  The  last  proof  sheet 
of  my  nebulae  paper  left  my  hands  the  night  I  left  London, 
and  yesterday  I  got  twelve  copies  to  take  to  the  Cape.  One 
will  be  forwarded  to  you  to-morrow  by  Lieut.  Stratford, 


CHAP,  vi.]  To  Professor  Schumacher.  261 

K.N.,  superintendent  of  the  "  Nautical  Almanac,"  who  will 
send  it  to  Prof.  Schumacher,  to  whom,  if  you  do  not  soon 
get  it,  pray  write.  I  have  also  ordered  a  duplicate  to  be 
sent  you  by  Mr.  Hudson,  assistant  secretary  of  the  Royal 
Society,  and  librarian,  who  will  henceforward  send  you  all 
my  papers  (in  duplicate).  My  observations  on  the  satel- 
lites of  Uranus,  which  confirm  my  brother's  results,  were 
sent  to  be  put  in  course  of  publication  last  night." 

I  have  no  doubt  but  that  you,  Sir,  are  in  correspondence 
with  the  above  named,  but  to  me  unknown,  gentlemen,  and 
that  those  two  copies  intended  for  me  are  only  enclosed  in 
a  packet  with  many  for  yourself. 

I  long  much  to  see  the  observations  on  the  Georgian 
satellites,  but  doubt  their  being  ready  to  come  with  the 
paper  on  nebulae.  I  beg  you  will  order  them  to  be  for- 
warded to  me  as  soon  as  you  see  them  yourselves,  for 
I  do  not  flatter  myself  with  the  hopes  of  being  much  longer 
for  this  world,  but  will  be  thankful  if  life  is  spared  me  till 
the  end  of  April,  when  I  hope  to  receive  the  assurance  of 
my  nephew's  safe  arrival  with  his  dear  family  at  the  Cape. 

Excuse  my  troubling  you  so  far,  and  believe  me  with 
great  regard,  dear  Sir, 

Your  much  obliged  and  humble  servant, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SIR   JOHN    HERSCHEL    AT    THE    CAPE. 

CAPE  TOWN,  Jan.  21,  1834. 

MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

Here  we  are  safely  landed  and  comfortably  housed  at 
the  far  end  of  Africa,  and  having  secured  the  landing  and 
final  stowage  of  all  the  telescopes  and  other  matters,  as  far 
as  I  can  see,  without  the  slightest  injury,  I  lose  no  time  in 
reporting  to  you   our   good  success  so  far.     M.  and   the 
children  are,  thank  God,  quite  well;  though,  for  fear  you 
should  think  her  too  good  a  sailor,  I  ought  to  add  that  she 
continued  sea-sick,  at  intervals,  during  the  whole  passage. 
We  were  nine  weeks  and  two  days  at  sea,  during  which 
period  we  experienced  only  one  day  of  contrary  wind.     We 
had  a  brisk  breeze  "  right  aft "  all  the  way  from  the  Bay  of 
Biscay  (which  we  never  entered)  to  the  "  calm  latitudes," 
that  is  to  say,  to  the  space  about  five  or  six  degrees  broad 
near  the  equator,  where  the  trade  winds  cease,  and  where  it 
is  no  unusual  thing  for  a  ship  to  lie  becalmed  for  a  month 
or  six  weeks,  frying  under  a  vertical  sun.     Such,  however, 
was  not  our  fate.   We  were  detained  only  three  or  four  days 
by  the  calms  usual  in  that  zone,  but  never  quite  still,  or 
driven  out  of  our  course,  and  immediately  on  crossing  "the 
line,"  got  a  good  breeze  (the  south-east  trade  wind),  which 
carried  us  round  Trinidad,  then  exchanged  it  for  a  north- 
west wind,  which,  with  the  exception  of  one  day's  squall 
from  the  south-east,  carried  us  straight  into   Table  Bay. 
On  the  night  of  the  14th  we  were  told  to  prepare  to  see  the 
Table  Mountain.     Next  morning  (N.B.,  we  had  not  seen 


CHAP,  viz.]  Sir  John  Herschel  at  the  Cape.  263 

land  before  since  leaving  England),  at  dawn  the  welcome 
word  "land"  was  heard,  and  there  stood  this  magnificent 
hill,  with  all  its  attendant  mountain  range  down  to  the 
farthest  point  of  South  Africa,  full  in  view,  with  a  clear  blue 
ghost-like  outline,  and  that  night  we  cast  anchor  within  the 
Bay.  Next  morning  early  we  landed  under  escort  of  Dr. 
Stewart,  M.'s  brother,  and  you  may  imagine  the  meeting. 
We  took  up  our  quarters  at  a  most  comfortable  lodging- 
house  (Miss  Eabe's),  and  I  proceeded,  without  loss  of  time, 
to  unship  the  instruments.  This  was  no  trifling  operation, 
as  they  filled  (with  the  rest  of  our  luggage)  fifteen  large 
boats ;  and,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  getting  them  up  from 
the  "hold"  of  the  ship,  required  several  days  to  complete 
the  landing.  During  the  whole  time  (and  indeed  up  to  this 
moment)  not  a  single  south-east  gale,  the  summer  torment 
of  this  harbour,  has  occurred.  This  is  a  thing  almost  un- 
heard of  here,  and  has  indeed  been  most  fortunate,  since 
otherwise  it  is  not  at  all  unlikely  that  some  of  the  boats, 
laden  as  they  were  to  the  water's  edge,  might  have  been  lost, 
and  the  whole  business  crippled. 

For  the  last  two  or  three  days  we  have  been  looking  at 
houses,  and  have  all  but  agreed  for  one,  a  most  beautiful 
place  within  four  or  five  miles  out  of  town,  called  "  The 
Grove."  In  point  of  situation,  it  is  a  perfect  paradise,  in 
rich  and  magnificent  mountain  scenery,  and  sheltered  from 
all  winds,  even  the  fierce  south-easter,  by  thick  surrounding 
woods.  I  must  reserve  for  my  next  all  description  of  the 
gorgeous  display  of  flowers  which  adorns  this  splendid 
country,  as  well  as  of  the  astonishing  brilliancy  of  the  con- 
stellations, which  the  calm,  clear  nights  show  off  to  great 
advantage ;  and  wishing  we  had  you  here  to  see  them,  must 
conclude  with  best  loves  from  M.  and  the  children. 
Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J;  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 


264  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1834. 

MISS  HEESCHEL  TO  SIR  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

BRAUXSCHWEIGER  STKASSE,  No.  376, 

May  1,  1834. 

MY  DEAR  NEPHEW, — 

Your  precious  letter  relieved  me  on  the  14th  from  a 
whole  twelvemonth's  anxiety,  for  it  was  in  April  last  year 
when,  by  your  few  brief  lines  on  business,  I  saw  that  you 
were  seriously  preparing  for  leaving  Europe,  and  from  that 
time  I  became  in  idea  a  vagrant  accompanying  you  through 
all  the  fatigues  of  preparing  for  such  a  momentous  under- 
taking. And  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  consoling  letter  of 
your  brother  [in  law]  James,  and  one  from  Miss  B.  giving 
me  an  account  of  the  carefully  arranged  accommodation  with 
which  they  saw  you  depart,  I  should  not  have  known  how 
to  support  myself  till  I  saw  your  dear  letter,  which  brought 
me  even  more  comfort  than  I  could  hope  you  would  have 
found  time  to  think  of.  .... 

Both  yourself  and  my  dear  niece  urged  me  to  write  often, 
and  to  write  always  twice ;  but  alas !  I  could  not  overcome 
the  reluctance  I  felt  of  telling  you  that  it  is  over  with  me, 
for  getting  up  at  eight  or  nine  o'clock,  dressing  myself, 
eating  my  dinner  alone  without  an  appetite,  falling  asleep 
over  a  novel  (I  am  obliged  to  lay  down  to  recover  the  fatigue 
of  the  morning's  exertions)  awaking  with  nothing  but  the 
prospect  of  the  trouble  of  getting  to  bed,  where  very  seldom 
I  get  above  two  hours'  sleep.  It  is  enough  to  make  a 
parson  swear !  To  this  I  must  add  I  found  full  employment 
for  the  few  moments,  when  I  could  rouse  myself  from  a 
melancholy  lethargy,  to  spend  in  looking  over  my  store  of 
astronomical  and  other  memorandums  of  upwards  of  fifty 
years  collecting,  and  destroying  all  what  might  produce 
nonsense  when  coming  through  the  hands  of  a  Block-kopff 
in  the  Zeitungen. 

My  dear  friends,  Mrs.  and  Miss  Beckedorff,  are  assisting 


CHAP,  vii.]  Arrival  at  the  Cape.  265 

me  in  my  final  preparations  for  going  to  that  bourn  from 
whence  none  ever  returned,  but  let  me  hope  that  you,  my 
dear  nephew,  with  my  dear  niece  and  the  whole  of  your 
young  family,  will  return  to  your  dear  relatives  and  friends 
after  having  seen  all  your  wishes  and  expectations  crowned 
with  success.  Though,  if  I  may  not  be  among  those  who 
will  greet  your  return,  I  can  assure  you  their  number  will 
be  great,  judging  from  the  sensation  the  account  of  your 
safe  arrival  at  the  Cape  has  caused  among  all  our  friends ; 

and  (as  Dr.  M will  have  it)  "  the  whole  intelligent  and 

scientific  world  in  general  are  participating  in  our  feeling." 
Poor  Mrs.  Beckedorff,  to  whom  I  read  your  letter,  sat 
trembling  and  crying  for  joy ;  for  I  now  find  that  my  friends 
had  not  been  without  fear  for  your  safety  on  account  of  the 
storms  (and  their  sad  consequences)  which  prevailed  for  a 
long  time  immediately  after  your  departure,  and  the  same 
evening  a  note  was  despatched  to  her  Boyal  Highness  the 
Landgrafin  to  communicate  the  news ;  for  from  the  Duke's 
and  her  Royal  Highness's  constant  inquiries  when  I  ex- 
pected to  hear  from  you,  I  knew  the  account  of  your  safe 

arrival  would  give  pleasure. 

***** 

The  feelings  of  joy  I  experienced  the  first  few  days  after 
the  arrival  of  your  letter  are  nearly  evaporated,  and  I  begin 
to  feel  already  that  the  essential  information  required  for 
making  me  reconciled  to  the  immense  space  which  divides 
me  from  you  is  still  wanting ;  which  is,  that  I  cannot  now, 
as  formerly,  receive  so  frequent  accounts  concerning  the 
health  of  my  dear  niece  and  the  children,  not  even  from 
Miss  B.,  who  used  to  describe  their  little  ways  so  prettily, 
for  she,  too,  cannot  now  observe  them.  I  look  with  im- 
patience for  the  next  account  .  ...  of  the  health  of  my 
dear  niece,  yours,  and  the  dear  little  beings.  Caroline  and 
Isabella  and  I  are  old  friends,  but  is  William  Herschel  the 


266  Caroline  Lucretia  Hersc/iel.  [1834. 

second  likely  to  live  (if  not  beyond)  at  least  to  the  age  of 
his  grandfather  ? 

Perhaps  you  will  receive  the  "  Gottingsche  Gelehrte 
Anzeigen"  of  16th  and  19th  December,  1833,  containing 
what  is  said  of  your  book  on  Natural  Philosophy  (by  Gauss 
they  say). 

God  bless  you  all,  and  believe,  my  dear  nephew, 
Ever  your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 


FROM  J.  F.  W.   HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

FELDHAUSEN,  June  6,  1834. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

The  twenty-foot  has  been  in  activity  ever  since  the 
end  of  February,  and,  as  I  have  now  got  the  polishing  appa- 
ratus erected  and  three  mirrors  (one  of  which  I  mean  to 
keep  constantly  polishing)  the  sweeping  gets  on  rapidly.  I 
had  hardly  begun  regular  sweeping,  when  I  discovered  two 
beautiful  planetary  nebula3,  exactly  like  planets,  and  one  of 
a  fine  blue  colour.  I  have  not  been  unmindful  of  your  hint 
about  Scorpio,  I  am  now  rummaging  the  recesses  of  that 
constellation  and  find  it  full  of  beautiful  globular  clusters. 
A  few  evenings  ago  I  lighted  on  a  strange  nebulae,  of  winch 
here  is  a  figure  !  and  since  I  am  about  it  I  shall  add  a  figure 
of  one  of  the  resolvable  nebulae  in  the  greater  magellanic 
cloud.  The  equatorial  is  at  last  erected,  and  the  revolving 
roof  (upon  a  plan  of  my  own)  works  perfectly  well,  but  I 
am  sorry  to  say  that  the  nights  in  which  it  can  be  used  to 
advantage  are  rare,  even  rarer  than  in  England,  as,  in  spite 
of  the  clearness  of  the  sky,  the  stars  are  ill-defined  and  ex- 
cessively tremulous.  But  a  truce  to  astronomical  details ! 
though  from  time  to  time  I  shall  continue  to  plague  you 


CHAP,  vii.]         The  Landgravine  of  Hesse.  267 

with    them Farewell;     M.    desires    to    add    her 

kindest  regards  to  those  of 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

The  following  letters  from  the  Princesses  of  Hesse 
and  Dessau  afford  a  pleasing  memorial  of  the  kind  and 
affectionate  interest  which  they  lost  no  opportunity  of 
expressing  in  Miss  Herschel  and  her  family. 

HANOVER,  June  10,  1834. 

I  yesterday  received  the  enclosed  note  from  my  niece, 
the  Dowager  Duchess  of  Anhalt  Dessau,  but  felt  too  unwell 
to  send  it  as  I  could  not  write,  which  I  wished  to  do,  to 
thank  you  also  for  your  great  kindness  about  the  book. 
My  niece  writes  in  extasies  with  your  good  nature.  I  am 
glad  to  learn  from  our  dear  Sophy  Beckedorff  that  you  are 
pretty  Avell.  I  trust  to  be  well  enough  soon  to  see  you,  but 
I  am  still  weak  and  unlike  myself.  It  gave  me  very  great 
pleasure  to  learn  that  you  have  had  fresh  accounts  of  your 
nephew,  who,  I  pray  God,  may  be  prosperous  in  all  his  very 
interesting  and  valuable  undertakings. 

I  am  happy  of  having  this  opportunity  of  assuring  you  of 
the  sincerity  of  my  regard. 

ELISE, 
The  Dowager  Landgravine  of  Hesse, 

born  Princess  of  England. 
To  Miss  CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 

[Enclosure.] 

DESSAU,  Jvm  6,  1834. 

Miss  Caroline  Herschel  finds  here  the  expressions 
of  my  utmost  gratitude  for  the  great  kindness  to  give  me 


268  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1834. 

the  so  very  interesting  work  of  her   nephew,   the  worthy 
follower  of  a  celebrated  father. 

The  gentleman  here,  a  Mr.  Schwabe,  to  whom  it  was 
destined,  looks  with  eager  curiosity  on  the  discoveries  Mr. 
Herschel  will  make  in  the  new  regions  of  heaven  he  is  now 
examining,  and  if  she  would  he  inclined,  after  receiving  any 
interesting  news,  to  make  communication  of  it,  it  would 
always  be  accepted  with  the  best  thanks  of 

FREDRICA, 

Duchess  of  Anhalt  Dessau. 

Miss  CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

Sept.  11,  1834. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

Your  welcome  letter  of  June  6  I  received  on  the 
19th  August  ....  and  I  know  not  how  to  thank  you 
sufficiently  for  the  cheering  account  you  give  of  the  climate 
agreeing  so  well  with  you  and  all  who  are  so  dear  to  me,  and 
that  you  find  all  about  you  so  agreeable  and  comfortable, 
....  so  that  I  have  nothing  left  to  wish  for  but  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  same,  and  that  I  may  only  live  to  see  the 
handwriting  of  your  dear  Caroline,  though  I  have  my 
doubts  about  lasting  till  then,  for  the  thermometer  standing 
80°  and  90°  for  upwards  of  two  months,  day  and  night,  in 
my  rooms  (to  which  I  am  mostly  confined)  has  made  great 
havoc  in  my  brittle  constitution.  1  beg  you  will  look  to  it 
that  she  learns  to  make  her  figures  as  you  will  find  them  in 
your  father's  MSS.,  such  as  he  taught  me  to  make.  The 
daughter  of  a  mathematician  must  write  plain  figures. 

My  little  grand-nephew  making  alliance  with  your  work- 
men shews  that  he  is  taking  after  his  papa.  I  see  you  now 
in  idea  (memory  ?)  running  about  in  petticoats  among  your 
father's  carpenters,  working  with  little  tools  of  your  own, 
and  John  Wiltshire  (one  of  Pitt's  men,  whom  you  may 


CHAP,  vii.]  A  Hole  in  the  Sky.  269 

perhaps  remember),  crying  out,  "  Dang  the  boy,  if  he  can't 
drive  in  a  nail  as  well  as  I  can  ! "  but  pray  take  care  that  he 
does  not  come  to  harm,  and  in  your  next  tell  me  something 
of  our  little  Isabella,  too. 

I  thank  you  for  the  astronomical  portion  of  your  letter, 
and  for  your  promise  of  future  accounts  of  uncommon 
objects.  It  is  not  clusters  of  stars  I  want  you  to  discover 
in  the  body  of  the  Scorpion  (or  thereabout),  for  that  does 
not  answer  my  expectation,  remembering  having  once  heard 
your  father,  after  a  long  awful  silence,  exclaim,  "  Hier  ist 
wahrhaftig  ein  Loch  im  Himmel !  "*  and,  as  I  said  before, 
stopping  afterwards  at  the  same  spot,  but  leaving  it  unsatis- 
fied, &c 

About  two  months  ago  I  was,  for  the  last  time,  unfortu- 
nately, at  the  theatre,  when  Professor  Schumacher  and  the 
Chevalier  Kessel,  of  Danneburg,  called  on  me.  As  soon  as 
I  came  home  I  sent  a  note  of  invitation  for  the  next 
levening,  but  had  one  returned  informing  me  of  their  eaving 
Hanover  next  morning,  and  a  promise  of  coming  perhaps 
next  summer.  But  I  hear  Struve  is  coming,  and  I  hope  I 
shall  get  a  sight  of  him.  The  Emperor  of  Kussia  and  the 
King  of  Denmark  are  cramming  their  observatories  with 
astronomical  instruments,  &c.,  of  all  descriptions,  made,  I 

believe,  some  of  them  by  Hohenbaum 

***** 

To  my  dear  niece  I  beg  you  to  give  my  best  love  and 
thanks  for  the  kind  arrangement  to  indemnify  me  for  the 
loss  of  her  dear  letters,  by  charging  her  brother  to  inform 
me  of  all  they  know,  &c.,  which,  thank  God,  is  hitherto  of 
the  most  comforting  nature. 

With  the  most  heartfelt  wishes  for  the  continuance  of  the 
health  of  you  all,  I  remain,  &c.,  &c., 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

*  Here,  indeed,  is  a  hole  in  heaven. 


270  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1835. 

FROM  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

FELDHAUSEN,  C.  G.  H.,  Feb.  22,  1835. 

***** 

For  my  own  part  I  never  enjoyed  such  good  health  in 
England  as  I  have  done  since  I  came  here.  The  first 
coming  on  of  the  hot  season  affected  me  a  little  (odd  enough 
with  colds  and  rheumatisms),  but  it  soon  went  off. 

The  stars  continue  to  be  propitious,  and  the  nights  which 
follow  a  shower,  or  a  "black  south-easter,"  are  the  most 
observing  nights  it  is  possible  to  imagine.  I  have  swept 
well  over  Scorpio,  and  have  many  entries  in  my  sweeping 
books  of  the  kind  you  describe,  viz.,  blank  space  in  the 
heavens  without  the  smallest  star.  For  example  : — 

R.A.  16h  15m— N.P.D.  113°  56'— a  field  without  the  smallest  star. 
,,    16   19  „       116     3  —  Antares  (a  Scorpii) 

„    16  23  ,,       114  25  to  214°  5'— fields  entirely  void  of  stars. 

,,    16   26  ,,       114   14      notastar!6m — Nothing! 

„    16   27  „       114     0  „         as  far  as  114°  10'. 

and  so  on.  Then  come  on  the  globular  clusters,  then  more 
blank  fields,  then  suddenly  the  Milky  Way  comes  on  as  here 
described  (from  my  sweep  474,  July  29,  1834) : — 

"  17h  28m,  114°  27'.— The  Milky  Way  comes  on  in  large 
milky  nebulous  irregular  patches  and  banks,  with  few  stars 
of  visible  magnitude,  after  a  succession  of  black  fields  and 
extremely  rare  stars  above  18th  magnitude.  I  do  not 
remember  ever  to  have  seen  the  Milky  Way  so  decidedly 
nebulous,  or,  indeed,  at  all  so,  before." 

Altogether  the  constitution  of  the  Milky  Way  in  its  whole 
extent,  from  Scorpio  to  Argo  Navis,  is  extremely  curious  and 
interesting.  I  have  already  collected  a  pretty  large  cata- 
logue of  southern  nebulae,  for  the  most  part  hitherto  un- 
observed, but  my  most  remarkable  object  is  a  fine  planetary 
nebula  of  a  beautiful  greenish-blue  colour,  a  full  and  intense 


CHAP,  vii.]   Sir  John  Herschel  at  the  Cape.          271 

tint  (not  as  when  one  says  Lyra  is  a  bluish  star,  &c.),  but  a 
positive  and  evident  blue,  between  indigo-blue  and  verditer 
green.  It  is  about  12"  in  diameter,  exactly  round,  or  a 
very  little  elliptic,  and  quite  as  sharply  denned  as  a  planet. 
Its  place  is  llh  42m  E.A.,  and  146°  14'  N.P.D.  My  review 
for  double  stars  goes  on  in  moonlight  nights,  and  among 
them  I  may  mention  y  Lupi  and  e  Chameleontis  as  among 
the  closest  and  most  interesting. 

I  have  been  hunting  for  Halley's  comet  by  Bunker's 
Ephemeris  in  Taurus,  but  without  success,  though  in  the 
finest  sky,  quite  dark,  and  with  a  newly-polished  mirror. 
(By  the  way,  I  should  mention  that  I  have  not  had  the 
least  difficulty  in  my  polishing  work,  and  my  mirrors  are 
now  more  perfect  than  at  any  former  time  since  I  have  used 
them.)  My  last  comet  hunt  was  Feb.  18.  I  shall,  how- 
ever, continue  to  look  out  for  it.  Pray  mention  this  to 
Schumacher,  who  is  Hunker's  next  door  neighbour. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  A.   DE  MORGAN,   ESQ.,   SECRETARY  OF 
ROYAL  ASTRONOMICAL  SOCIETY. 

March  9,  1835. 
SIR,— 

I  return  you  many  thanks  for  your  communication  of 
being  chosen  an  Honorary  Member  of  the  Royal  Astro- 
nomical Society,  and  beg  you  will  do  me  the  favour  to 
convey  my  most  heartfelt  thanks  to  the  honourable  gentle- 
men of  the  Council  for  conferring  so  great  an  honour  on 
me ;  and  only  regret  that  at  the  feeble  age  of  85  I  have  no 
hope  of  making  myself  deserving  of  the  great  honour  of 
seeing  my  name  joined  with  that  of  the  much  distinguished 
Mrs.  Somerville. 

I  beg  you  will  believe  me  to  remain,  with  great  regard, 
Sir,  your  most  respectful  and 

obliged  humble  servant, 

CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 


272  Caroline  Lucretza  HerscheL  [1835. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  F.    BAILY,   ESQ. 

HANOVEK,  April  2,  1835. 

DEAR  SIR, — 

I  feel  very  great  gratification  at  recollecting  that  some 
twenty  years  ago  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  present  when 
you  were  conversing  at  Slough  with  my  dear  brother,  for 
it  encourages  me  to  address  you  now  as  an  old  friend,  and  I 
might  almost  say  my  only  one,  for  death  has  not  spared  me 
one  of  those  valuable  men  of  the  last  century  in   whose 
society  I  had  an  opportunity  of  spending  many  happy  hours, 
when  they  came  to   pass  an  astronomical  night  at  Bath, 
Datchet,  Clay  Hall,  and  Slough.     And  I  should  now  in  the 
absence  of  my  nephew  (who  would  in  my  name  have  pro- 
perly answered  your  kind  letter  for  me)  been  much  at  a  loss 
how  to  reply  to  yours  of  March  17.     But  I  hope,  dear  Sir, 
you  will  have  the  goodness  to  return  my  sincere  thanks  to 
the  Council  of  the  Society  for  voting  me  a  complete  copy  of 
their   Memoirs.     But,   considering  my  advanced   age   and 
declining  health,  I  think  it  best  not  to  havo  them  sent  over 
to  me,  for  it  would  cause  me  much  uneasiness  to  leave  them 
in  the  hands  of  those  who  could  neither  read  nor  understand 
them. 

I  suppose  my  nephew  must  have  himself  a  complete  copy 
of  the  Memoirs;  but.  if  not,  I  beg  you  will  give  them  to 
him,  along  with  my  love,  as  a  keepsake  from  his  affec- 
tionate and  grateful  aunt,  the  first  opportunity  you  have  to 
see  him  on  his  return. 

Your  kind  information  of  the  work  with  which  you  are  at 
present  engaged,  touches  a  string  which  it  has  caused  me 
no  small  trouble  to  silence ;  for  whenever  my  thoughts 
return  to  those  two  or  three  years  of  which  every  moment 
that  could  be  spared  from  other  immediate  astronomical 
business  was,  by  my  brother's  desire,  allotted  for  com- 


•CHAI-.  vii.]  Catalogues  of  Stars.  273 

paring  each  star  of  the  British  Catalogue  with  their  obser- 
vations in  that  incorrect  edition  of  1725,  I  feel  always  sorry 
that  want  of  time,  and,  perhaps,  want  of  ability  too,  must 
liave  been  the  cause  of  leaving  many  incorrections  unno- 
ticed. The  work,  however,  was  solely  intended  for  the  use 
•of  my  brother,  who  valued  Flamsteed  as  an  observer  too 
much  to  have  made  use  of  any  other  but  the  British  Cata- 
logue for  determining  the  places  of  his  newly-discovered 
objects.  N.B.  "We  ought  to  remember  that  till  the  year 
1790  and  1800,  when  Wollaston's  and  Bode's  Catalogues 
appeared,  we  had  no  other  to  go  by,  for  those  of  Piazzi  and 
several  other  excellent  observers  were  then  not  generally 
known. 

But,  dear  Sir,  I  ought  to  take  leave  of  this  to  me  inte- 
resting subject ;  for  finding,  about  eight  years  since,  that> 
on  account  of  the  failure  of  my  eyes  and  wretched  health  in 
general,  I  should  be  unable  to  make  further  use  of  Flam- 
steed's  works,  I  gave  the  three  volumes,  along  with  the 
Atlas,  Catalogue  of  Omitted  Stars,  &c.,  to  the  Observatory 
of  Gottingen,  all  marked  throughout  with  what  corrections 
I  knew  of  at  that  time ;  thinking  they  might  be  of  use  to 
the  observer  there,  and  relieve  me  besides  from  the  fear  of 
leaving  them  where  they  could  not  be  appreciated,  or  an 
attempt  be  made  to  comment  on  them,  and  perhaps  have 
made  bad  worse. 

I  wish  (but  almost  fear  life  will  not  be  spared  me  so  long) 
to  see  your  new  edition  of  the  British  Catalogue,  therefore 
beg  you  will  favour  me  with  a  copy  as  early  as  possible.  I 
never  knew  that  there  was  a  Biography  of  Flamsteed's 
existing,  and  trust  you  will  favour  me  with  the  same  as  soon 
as  you  can. 

Any  small  parcels  of  astronomical  papers  will  come  to  me 
by  favour  of  Herr  Schumacher  in  Altona,  who  is  so  kind  as 
to  send  me  his  "  Astronom.  Nachrichten "  regularly  for 


274  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [isss. 

my  amusement.  And  if  you  could  send  me  the  names  of 
the  President  and  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  present  Council, 
it  would  greatly  oblige  me. 

I  hope  you  will  pardon  my  having  intruded  so  long  on 
your  time,  but  it  has  ever  been  my  fault  to  be  tedious  in 
expressing  my  thoughts  on  paper ;  but  will  now  only  add 
that,  with  great  esteem  and  regard, 

I  remain,  my  dear  Sir, 

Your  humble  servant, 

CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 

FROM  MRS.  SOMERVILLE  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

ROYAL  HOSPITAL,  CHELSEA, 

April  16,  1835. 

DEAR  MADAM, — 

I  have  sincere  pleasure  in  availing  myself  of  the 
opportunity  of  writing  to  you  which  the  Astronomical 
Society  of  London  has  afforded  me,  by  placing  my  name  in 
the  number  of  Honorary  Members,  and  greatly  adding  to 
the  value  of  that  distinction  by  associating  my  name  with 
yours,  to  which  I  have  looked  up  with  so  much  admiration. 
My  object  in  writing  is  to  request  that  you  will  accept 
of  a  copy  of  my  book  on  the  Connexion  of  the  Physical 
Sciences,  which  is  offered  with  great  deference,  having 
been  written  for  a  very  different  class  of  readers. 

I  am  proud  of  the  friendship  of  your  nephew,  the  worthy 
son  of  such   a   father,  who  is  succeeding  so  well  in  his 
glorious  undertaking  at  the  Cape.     I  have  seen  a  letter  of 
the  27th  January,  when  they  were  all  well  and  prospering. 
Iremain,  dear  Madam, 

With  sincere  esteem, 

Very  truly  yours, 

MARY  SOMERVILLE. 


CHAP,  vii.]  Letters.  275 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

April  23,  1835. 

MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

*  *  *  *  * 

Your  own  dear  letter  arrived  containing  such  a 
volume  of  joyful  news,  conveyed  in  the  most  kindest  expres- 
sions, as  if  chosen  for  the  purpose  to  cheer  the  heart  of 
feeble  age. 

I  was  then  not  able  (nor  am  I  so  now)  to  thank  you  as  I 
could  wish  for  your  sparing  so  much  of  your  valuable  time 
and  strength  for  the  purpose  of  making  me  a  partaker  of 

your  domestic  happiness. 

***** 

I  have  now  received  in  all  five  letters,  two  by  your  own 
hands,  and  three  by  my  nephew.  Each  time  after  having 
read  them  over  again  they  are  put  by,  under  thanksgiving 
to  the  Almighty,  with  a  prayer  for  future  protection. 

....  Writing  to  my  absent  friends  is  one  of  the  most 
laborious  employments  I  could  fly  to  when  under  bodily 
and,  of  course,  mental  sickness,  for  it  is  not  impossible  I 
might,  instead  of  making  inquiry  about  my  little  precious 
grand-nephew  and  the  young  ladies  who  play,  sing,  and  sew 
so  prettily,  write,  "  O  !  my  back.  O  !  I  have  the  cramp 
here,  there,  &c." 

I  had  intended  to  keep  a  day-book  to  note  down  how  and 
where  I  spent  my  time,  and  what  was  passing  about  me, 
which  was  to  have  served  for  yours  and  my  nephew's  amuse- 
ment some  day  or  other.  But  this  I  have  given  up  long 
since,  for  seeing  nothing  but  lapses  of  weeks  and  months 
where  I  could  have  given  no  better  account  of  myself  than 
that,  after  the  fatigue  of  getting  up  and  dressing,  I  fell  asleep 
on  the  sofa,  with  a  newspaper  or  other  uninteresting  sub- 
ject in  my  hands,  this  would  only  have  put  me  in  mind  of 


the  useless  life  I  am  leading  now. 


T   2 


276  Caroline  Lucretia,  Herschel.  [1835. 

But  within  the  last  two  months  I  have  been  obliged  to 
exert  myself  once  more  to  answer  two  letters,  one  to  Mr. 
De  Morgan,  the  Secretary  of  the  Royal  Astronomical  Society, 
the  other  to  Mr.  Baily  (who  I  suppose  is  President),  for 
they  have  been  pleased  to  choose  me,  along  with  Mrs. 
Somerville,  to  be  a  member  (God  knows  what  for)  of  their 
Society.  This,  and  receiving  visits  of  congratulation  (for 
congratulate  they  must  about  all  they  find — what  they  call 
promotion — in  the  zeitungen)  has  really  somewhat  disturbed 
me,  though  Captain  Muller  and  Mr.  Hausmann  I  am 
always  glad  to  see  ;  with  them  I  can  talk  about  my  nephew^ 
for  they  know  him  personally,  and  admire  him.  The  winter 
else  has  passed  away  rather  heavily,  because  the  Landgrafin 
not  being  here,  I  had  no  other  opportunity  for  seeing  any- 
thing to  put  me  in  mind  of  England,  but  going  to  eight  or 
ten  concerts,  and  those,  ill  or  well,  I  never  missed,  for  there 
I  was  always  sure  to  be  noticed  by  the  Duke  of  Cambridge 
as  his  countrywoman  (and  that  is  what  I  want,  I  will  be  no 
Hanoverian  !),  and  then  inquiries  are  made  about  my  nephew 
and  his  family ;  even  the  little  princess,  twelve  years  old, 
who  sometimes  when  there,  comes  to  give  me  her  hand, 
asking  if  I  have  had  any  letters  from  the  Cape  ;  but  now  I 
have  seen  the  last  of  them,  for  the  family  go  to  England, 
and  will  be  absent  for  many  months,  and  where  may  I  be 
when  they  return  ?  But  Sunday  night  I  sat  a  full  hour  on 
the  sofa  with  the  Duke  at  Mrs.  Beckedorff 's,  where  I  go 
Sundays  from  seven  to  nine,  where  there  is  nobody  but  the 
female  part  of  Mrs.  B.'s  family,  and  another  old  lady,  who 
was  absent  on  account  of  being  not  well.  Of  this  our  meet- 
ing the  good  Duke  knew  all  along,  and  good-naturedly  came 
to  join  our  gossip. 

Here  1  have  filled  my  paper  with  talking  of  nothing  but  my- 
self, because  I  know  that  my  nephew  corresponds  with  all  scien- 
tific men  in  Europe,  for  I  hear  frequently  of  extracts  having 


CHAP,  vii.]  Newton  and  Flamsteed.  277 

appeared  in  the  papers  (of  his  communications)  by  Struve, 
Littrow,  &c.,  and  should  suppose  he  will  also  know  what  is 
done  at  our  Society,  of  ivhicli  I  now  am  a  fellow  !  and  is  of 
course  acquainted  with  what  Mr.  Baily  mentioned  in  his 
letter  to  me,  that  at  the  public  expense  a  new  edition  of 
Flamsteed's  work  is  now  in  print,  and  that  papers  have 
been  found  at  the  Royal  Society  containing  a  biography  by 
Flamsteed's  own  hands,  which — but  here  I  transcribe  what 
Mr.  B.  writes : — "I  lament  very  much,  in  common  with 
every  friend  of  science,  that  Newton's  name  is  mixed  up 
with  transactions  that  show  him  in  a  different  light  from 
that  in  which  we  have  generally  received  his  character.  But 
justice  to  Flamsteed's  memory  would  not  allow  me  to  sup- 
press any  portion  of  his  autobiography." 

Now  we  talk  of  biographies,  I  have  no  less  than  nine  of 
my  poor  brother,  and  heard  of  two  more,  one  by  Zach, 
which  I  shall  try  to  get  sight  of.  There  is  but  one  or  two 
which  are  bordering  on  truth,  the  rest  being  stuff,  not  worth 
while  to  fret  about.  The  best  is  accompanied  with  a  minia- 
ture of  Reberg's  bad  copy ;  but  I  have  ordered  a  lithograph 
copy  to  be  taken  from  the  portrait  by  Artaud ;  if  it  turns  out 
correct  I  will  send  two  copies  as  soon  as  they  come  out. 

God  bless    you    both,  and  the  dear  children,  my  best 

niece. 

Ever  your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAK.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  P.  STEWART,  ESQ.* 

May  25,  1835. 

***** 

Let  the  time  come  whenever  it  may  please  God,  I  leave 

*  A  brother  of  Lady  Herschel's.  This  gentleman  and  his  brothers  were 
in  the  habit  of  writing  to  Miss  Herschel  during  her  nephew's  absence  at  the 
Cape,  keeping  her  informed  of  the  latest  news,  and  showing  her  every  kind  and 

thoughtful  attention. 


278  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [isss. 

cash  enough  behind  to  clear  me  from  all  and  any  obligations 
to  all  who  here  do  know  me.  Even  the  expenses  of  a  re- 
spectable funeral  lie  ready  to  enable  my  friend  Mrs.  Becke- 
dorif,  and  one  of  my  nieces  (the  widow  of  Amptmann  Knip- 
ping,*  who  lately  came  to  settle  at  Hanover)  to  fulfil  my 
directions. 

I  hope  you  will  pardon  my  troubling  you  with  such  dole- 
ful subjects,  but  I  wish  to  show  you  that  my  income  is  by 
one  third  more  than  I  have  the  power  to  spend,  for  by  a 
twelve  years'  trial  I  find  that  I  cannot  get  rid  of  more  than 
600  thl.  =  £100  per  year,  without  making  myself  ridi- 
culous. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  August  6,  1835. 

MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

I  dare  not  wait  any  longer  for  a  return  of  better 
spirits,  such  as  in  which  I  should  like  to  reply  to  my 
nephew's  dated  February  22nd,  and  yours  of  May  19th,  for 
I  fear  if  I  do  not  at  least  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  them, 
I  shall  not  be  gladdened  again  by  such  delightful  descrip- 
tions of  your  health  and  healthful  situation,  and  my 
nephew's  contentment  with  the  successful  progress  he  is 
making  in  his  intended  observations. 

At  first,  on  reading  them,  I  could  turn  wild,  but  this  is 
only  a  flash,  for  soon  I  fall  in  a  reverie  of  what  my  dear 
nephew's  father  would  have  felt  if  such  letters  could  have 
been  directed  to  him,  and  cannot  suppress  my  wish  that  his 
life  instead  of  mine  had  been  spared  until  this  present  mo- 
ment ;  for  what  immense  and  wonderful  discoveries  have 

*  This  lady,  the  daughter  of  Dietrich  Herschel,  proved  a  most  true,  affec- 
tionate, and  trustworthy  friend  to  the  last.  See  her  letter  on  Miss  Herschel's 
death. 


€HAP.  vii.]  Present  of  Constantia.  27  & 

not  been  made  within  these  thirteen  years,  chiefly  by  his 
•own  son,  or  son's  suggestion  ! 

But  I  must  stop  here  and  turn  to  more  earthly  and 
indifferent  subjects  (though  they  ought  not  to  be  called 
indifferent  neither),  for  in  the  first  place  I  have  to  return 
my  thanks  for  no  less  than  three  dozen  of  Constantia  wine, 
but  this  I  shall  do  but  with  a  very  bad  grace,  for  ever  since 
the  llth  of  Ma}T,  when  I  received  my  nephew's  letter,  I  have 
been  in  the  fidgets  about  the  trouble  he  and  his  friends 

must  have  had  before  such  a  thing  could  reach  me 

I  feel  more  reconciled  after  unburdening  myself  of  some  of 
this  weighty  concern  by  making  presents  to  all  who  love 
and  esteem  you  so  truly,  and  after  setting  apart  a  portion, 
according  to  Captain  Muller's  advice,  with  which  you 
may  be  treated  when  at  your  return  you  may  perhaps  visit 
Hanover  again,  there  remains  more  than  ever  I  can  get 
through  with,  for  I  am  very  desirous  to  spin  out  the  thread 
•of  my  life  till  you  return  home.  And  I  know  it  is  a  mis- 
taken notion  that  old  folks  want  more  of  what  they  call 
•comfort  than  young  ones.  It  is  not  very  easy  to  find  out 

what  will  convey  comfort  in  general I,  for  instance, 

know  of  no  other  comforts  like  those  I  derive  from  yours 
and  my  dear  niece's  letters.  Her  last  leaves  me  nothing  to 

wish  for 

***** 

You  compliment  me  on  having  a  steady  hand,  but  if  you 
were  to  see  the  blotting  I  make  before  I  can  make  it  hang- 
together  (when  I  am  composing,  as  it  were,  a  letter)  you 
would  not  say  so,  and,  after  all,  it  will  cause  you  some 
trouble  to  understand  me,  for  the  letter  begins  to  my  dear 
niece,  and  soon  after  I  find  myself  talking  to  you 


280  Caroline  Liicretia  HerscheL 

SIR  J.  F.  TV.  HEESCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

FELLHAU.SES,  Oct.  24,  1835. 
DEAR  AUNT, — 

The  last  accounts  we  have  of  you  are  that  you  are- 
elected  a  member  of  the  Astronomical  Society,  and  that  to- 
keep  you  in  countenance,  and  prevent  your  being  the  only 
lady  among  so  many  gentlemen,  you  have  for  a  colleague 
and  sister  member,  Mrs.  Somerville.  Now  this  is  well 
imagined,  and  we  were  not  a  little  pleased  to  hear  it.  May 
you  long  enjoy  your  well-earned  laurels  ! 

As  I  presume  our  news  will  interest  you  more  than  com- 
ments upon  what  goes  on  in  Europe,  in  the  first  place  be  it 
known  to  you,  that  we  are  all  well  and,  thank  Heaven,  happy. 

The  children,  one  and  all,  thrive  uncommonly The 

stars  go  on  very  well,  though  for  the  last  two  months  the 
weather  has  been  chiefly  cloudy,  which  has  hitherto  pre- 
vented me  seeing  Halley's  comet.  Encke's  (yours)  escaped 
me,  owing  to  trees  and  the  Table  Mountain,  though  I  cut 
away  a  good  gap  in  our  principal  oak  avenue  to  get  at  it. 
However,  Maclear,  at  the  Observatory,  succeeded  in  getting 
three  views  of  it  with  the  fourteen-foot  Newtonian  of  my 
father's  (the  Glasgow  telescope)  on  the  14th,  19th,  and 
(?)  24th  of  September.  If  you  have  an  opportunity  of 
letting  this  become  known  to  Encke,  pray  do  so — (I  shall 
write  to  him  shortly  myself).  It  was  in  or  near  the  calcu- 
lated place,  but  no  measures  could  be  got. 

I  have  now  very  nearly  gone  over  the  whole  southern 
heavens,  and  over  much  of  it  often.  So  that  after  another 
season  of  reviewing,  verifying,  and  making  up  accounts  (re- 
ducing and  bringing  in  order  the  observations)  we  shall  be 
looking  homewards.  In  short,  I  have,  to  use  a  homely 
phrase,  broken  the  neck  of  the  work,  and  my  main  object 
now  is  to  secure  and  perfect  what  is  done,  and  get  all  ready 


HAV.  vii.]  Duke  of  Cambridge.  281 

to  begin  printing  the  moment  we  arrive  in  England;  or, 
if  that  is  not  possible,  at  least  to  have  no  more  calcula- 
tion to  do 

FROM   H.R.H.   THE  DUKE  OF  CAMBRIDGE. 

HANOVER,  Nov.  19,  1835. 

The  Duke  of  Cambridge  hastens  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  Miss  Herschel's  very  obliging  note,  and  to  return 
his  many  thanks  for  her  attention  in  sending  him  some  of 
the  Constantia  she  has  lately  received  from  her  nephew. 
He  seizes  this  opportunity  of  assuring  her  of  the  satis- 
faction he  felt  at  hearing  that  Mr.  Herschel  and  his  family 
were  in  good  health,  and  he  sincerely  hopes  that  the  climate 
of  the  Cape  will  agree  with  them. 

FRANCIS  BAILY,  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

37,  TAVISTOCK  PLACE,  LONDON, 

Jan.  29,  1836. 

MY  DEAR  MADAM, — 

I  forwarded  some  time  since,  to  Professor  Schu- 
macher, a  copy  of  my  "  Account  of  Flamsteed,"  to  be  sent 
to  you ;  and  which  he  says  was  duly  transmitted.  I  am 
anxious  to  know  whether  it  has  arrived  safe,  for,  as  only  a 
limited  number  of  copies  were  printed  (which  are  all  dis- 
tributed) it  cannot  be  purchased. 

I  have  been  the  more  desirous  that  you  should  have  a 
copy,  because  there  is  no  one  that  has  taken  so  much  pains 
to  elucidate  and  explain  the  works  of  Flamsteed  as  yourself, 
and  therefore  I  am  bound  in  gratitude  to  see  that  you  are- 
put  in  possession  of  a  copy  of  the  work. 

I  shall  take  this  opportunity  of  stating  that  I  hear  occa- 
sionally from  your  nephew  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
that  the  last  accounts  confirmed  his  continuance  in  good 


282  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel. 


health,    and  his   enjoyment   of  the  pleasures  of  the  fine 
climate  in  which  he  is  placed. 

I  remain,  my  dear  madam,  with  the  assurance  of  my  best 
respects,  and  my  best  wishes  for  your  health  and  happiness, 

Your  very  obedient  servant, 

FRANCIS  BAILY. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  F.   BAILY,   ESQ. 

HANOVER,  Feb.  15,  1836. 
DEAR  SIR,  — 

I  am  quite  at  a  loss  for  terms  in  which  to  apologize 
for  having  neglected  to  acknowledge  the  receiving  of  your 
valuable  Catalogue  and  biography  of  our  dear  ill-used  Flam- 
•steed,  which  was  forwarded  to  me  by  the  usual  kindness  and 
punctuality  of  Prof.  Schumacher  on  the  9th  October  last. 
The  same  packet  also  contained  Mrs.  Somerville's  second 
•edition  "  On  the  Connexion,"  &c.,  accompanied  by  a  kind 
note,  dated  as  far  back  as  April  16th,  which,  to  my  sorrow, 
is  also  still  left  unanswered  on  account  of  illness,  and  in  the 
hope  that  when  the  days  are  somewhat  longer  (my  eyes  fail 
me),  and  that  with  the  return  of  spring  I  might  perhaps 
regain  some  small  portion  of  strength  —  but  I  doubt. 

The  parcel  also  contained  duplicates  of  my  nephew's 
•second  series,  and  on  the  satellites  of  Uranus,  and  I  must 
trust  that  on  his  return  he  will  convey  my  grateful  thanks  to 
you,  sir,  and  the  gentlemen,  for  all  the  kind  attention  con- 
ferred on  me  during  his  absence.  My  last  letter  from  the 
Cape  is  dated  October  24th,  and  I  am  much  gratified  by 
your  kindness  in  having  informed  my  nephew  of  the  wish  I 
have  that  the  volumes  of  the  Royal  Astronomical  Society's 
publications  voted  to  me  might  be  kept  for  him,  and  he 
seems  much  pleased  with  the  arrangement.  I  therefore 
would  recommend  them  to  your  obliging  care  till  his  return. 


CHAP,  vii.]  Southern  Stars.  283 

The  volume  of  your  "  Account  of  Flamsteed  "  must  be  my 
companion  to  the  last,  but  I  will  take  care  it  shall  be  safely 
delivered  to  my  nephew. 

If  I  will  not  lose  another  post  I  must  conclude  with  the 
assurance  of  ever  remaining  with  great  regard, 

My  dear  Sir, 
Your  much  obliged  and  humble  servant, 

C.  HERSCHEL. 

SIR   JOHN  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

March  8,  1836. 

DEAR  AUNT, — 

Maggie  desires  me  to  finish  this  for  her,  but  she  has 
not  left  me  room  to  write  at  length.  So  I  will  only  devote 
this  space  to  one  point  in  your  last  letter  which  requires  reply. 
I  have  not  got  Gauss's  apparatus,  and  I  am  not  sufficiently 
acquainted  with  his  method  of  observing  to  construct  one  for 
myself.  Besides  which  it  is  quite  out  of  my  power  to  under- 
take any  extensive  series  of  observations,  being  anxious  to 
get  home,  and  having  still  so  much  to  do,  both  in  observa- 
tion and  reduction,  that  I  really  shall  hardly  be  able  to  ac- 
complish all  I  have  already  in  hand.  This  comet  [Halley's] 
has  been  a  great  interruption  to  my  sweeps,  and  I  hope  and 
fear  it  may  yet  be  visible  another  month.  Unluckily  when 
I  sailed  from  England  I  left  all  my  volumes  of  Poggendorff 
and  the  "  Nachrichten  "  behind  me,  and  none  of  the  former 
and  very  few  of  the  latter  have  reached  me  here.  I  fear  it 
is  now  too  late  to  send  home  for  anything,  and  I  have  two 
series  of  observations,  viz.,  of  the  comparative  brightness 
of  the  southern  stars,  and  of  the  photometric  estimation  of 
their  magnitudes — the  former  just  commencing,  the  latter 
not  yet  begun,  which  I  must  do.  Pray  explain  this  to 
Gauss Astronomical  news  I  have  little,  but  one 


284  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [isse, 

thing  very  remarkable  I  must  tell  you,  y  Virginia  is  now  « 
single  star  in  both  the  twenty-foot  and  the  seven-foot 
equatorial ! ! ! 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.  F.    W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  June  29,  1836. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

I  do  not  know  where  to  begin,  for  I  see  it  is  nearly  a 
twelvemonth  since  I  gave  some  account  of  myself,  and  in  all 
that  time  never  returned  my  thanks  for  the  three  letters  I 

received I  have  a  great  deal  to  say,  and  will  begin 

with  accounting  for  my  long  silence,  by  confessing  that  I 
have  throughout  the  whole  winter  been  too  ill  to  do 
anything  besides  nursing  myself,  and  putting  myself  in  a 
condition  to  appear  before  strangers,  which  I  am  not  able 
to  do  till  after  twelve  or  one  at  noon,  and  the  time  which  I 
wanted  to  rest  after  my  exertion  and  getting  my  breakfast 
was  generally  taken  up  by  pacifying  the  gulls  about  the 
foolish  paragraphs  they  had  been  reading  the  night  before 
in  the  Clubs.  I  never  read,  or  would  read,  any  of  them, 
but  when  I  heard  of  anything  appearing  rational  concerning 
you,  I  copied  or  procured  the  paper  for  myself,  and  then  I 
found  among  the  rest  a  letter  of  yours  to  Professor  Plana, 
in  Turin,  dated  December  28th,  1834.  And  not  being  able 
to  do  anything  of  use  to  yon  myself,  I  begged  Capt. 
Miiller  to  cause  those  observations  of  June  21st,  &c.,  to  be 
made  by  somebody  here  in  Hanover,  and  the  enclosed  letter 

will,    I   hope,  meet  with   a   gracious   reception I 

believe  Dr.  Heere  will  not  fail  the  next  equinox  to  be  at  his 
post,  and  you  may  hear  more  of  him. 

Capt.  Miiller  is  at  present  with  Gauss,  and  will  deliver 
all  your  messages  personally,  for  you  must  know  I  beware 


€HAP.  vii.]  Her  Brother's  Portrait.  285 

of  corresponding  with  all  those  known  ones  if  I  can  possibly 
help  it,  and  have  through  his  hands  sent  copies  of  your 
father's  likeness  to  Struve,  Schumacher,  Gauss,  Bessel, 
Encke,  Olbers,  &c.  Gauss  sent  me  word  it  was  hung  up  in 
his  library.  Encke  sent  me  a  very  pretty  letter  ofjthanks. 

....  That  sending  is  an  ugly  thing.  Mrs.  Somerville 
.sent  me  her  book  with  a  letter  dated  April  16th,  which  I 
received  October  9th,  coming  along  with  Mr.  Baily's  pub- 
lication, presented,  by  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admi- 
ralty to  Miss  Herschel.  You  cannot  think  how  agitated  I 
feel  on  such  occasions,  coming  to  me  with  such  things  ! — 

an  old  poor  sick  creature  in  her  dotage I  was  going 

to  say  something  yet  of  Mr.  Baily's  labours,  but  the  paper 
is  at  an  end  ;  but  I  hope  you  will  now  soon  read  in  your 
own  library  at  Slough  what  the  "  Quarterly  Review,"  No. 
CIX.,  says,  and  what  your  Cambridge  friend  Whewell  and 
others  have  said — in  short,  Newton  remains  Newton  !  God 
bless  my  dear  nephew  and  niece  !  .  .  .  .  My  heart  is  too 
full — I  can  say  110  more  than  that 

I  am  your  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HAXOVER,  October  20,  1836. 

MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

From  June  14  to  October  the  1st,  and  not  any  the 
least  account,  was  rather  too  much  for  me  to  bear,  espe- 
cially during  the  months  when  those  few  friends  Avho  some- 
times cheer  me  by  a  friendly  call  had  all  left  the  town  to 
make  summer  excursions 

I  have  a  few  memorandums  for  my  nephew,  and  will  for 
the  present  take  leave  of  my  dear  niece  with  my  most  heart- 
.felt  wishes  that  every  future  account  with  which  I  may  yet 
be  blessed  from  her  dear  hand  may  be  like  the  last. 


286  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.         [1836-1837. 


....  I  have  four  complete  years  of  the  "Astronom. 

Nachrichten  "  ready  bound  for  you I  wished  to  give 

you  the  number  of  the  paper  (but  cannot  find  it  again) 
where  Bessel  speaks  of  Saturn's  satellites,  but  my  eyes  are 
so  dim,  and  I  am  too  unwell  for  doing  anything.  I  will 
therefore  only  say  he  has  seen  the  6th  but  not  the  7th,  the 
ring  being  in  the  way.  In  No.  293,  two  of  Bessel's  assist- 
ants, Beer  and  Ma'dler,  say  a  great  deal  about  the  observa- 
tions of  your  father,  but  that  goes  all  for  nothing.  I  will 
only  say  in  general  that  he  did  in  one  season  more  than  any 
one  else  could  have  done,  and  would  have  resumed  the 
limit  the  next  fifteen  years  if  nothing  had  interfered.  And 
the  Georgium  Sidus  was  followed  as  long  as  anything  could 
be  obtained  from  that  planet,  and  it  will  }ret  be  some  twenty 
years  before  he  will  be  in  that  favourable  situation  in  the 
ecliptic  where  he  was  at  the  time  when  the  satellites  were 
discovered. 

I  have  seen  Struve's  Catalogue  of  Double  Stars, 
wherein  I  find  he  agrees  with  your  and  your  father's  obser- 
vations  Do  not  think,  my  dear  nephew,  that  I 

would  expose  myself  so  as  to  say  a  word  about  these  things 
to  anybody  else,  but  to  you  I  cannot  help  letting  it  out 
when  I  am  nettled. 

I  must  leave  off  gossiping,  else  I  shall  not  get  this  letter 
awa}',  in  which  you  will  find  Dr.  H.'s  barometrical  observa- 
tions, which  I  received  a  few  days  ago 

SIR  J.  F.   W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE,  Jan.  10,  1837. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

***** 

I  am  now  at  work  on  the  spots  in  the  sun,  and  the 
general  subject  of  solar  radiation,  which  you  know  occu- 


CUAJ-.  vii.]  Spots  in  the  Sun.  287 

pied  a  large  portion  of  my  father's  attention.  The  present 
is  an  admirable  opportunity  for  studying  these  things,  as 
the  sun  is  infested  now  with  spots  to  a  greater  degree  than 
ever  I  knew  it,  and  they  are  arranged  over  its  surface  in  a 
manner  singularly  interesting  and  instructive.  The  sky 
here  is  so  pure  and  clear  in  our  summer  that  it  would  be 
a  shame  to  neglect  such  an  opportunity  of  making  experi- 
ments on  heat,  and  accordingly  I  have  been  occupied  in 
the  December  solstice  in  determining  the  constant  of  solar 
radiation,  that  is  to  say,  the  absolute  quantity  of  heat  sent 
down  to  the  earth's  surface  from  the  sun  at  noon,  or  at  a 
vertical  incidence. 

I  do  not  think  I  have  ever  mentioned  to  you  a  remark- 
able and  splendid  instance  of  liberality  on  the  part  of  His 
Grace  of  Northumberland,  who  has  taken  upon  himself  to 
defray  the  expenses  of  publishing  my  observations  at  the 
Cape,  and  that  in  a  manner  the  most  delicate  and  consi- 
derate imaginable.  In  consequence  "  my  book  "  will  appear, 
when  it  does  appear,  under  his  auspices,  and  I  hope  it  will 
not  do  discredit  to  his  munificence.  This  is  not  the  only, 
nor  the  most  remarkable,  instance  however,  of  his  attach- 
ment to  the  cause  of  science,  and  his  disposition  to  pro- 
mote and  support  it. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.   F.   W.   HERSCHEL. 

March  30,  1837. 

***** 

....  I  have  for  the  last  five  months  been  in  con- 
tinued fear  of  losing  Mrs.  Beckedorff  (to  whom  I  could 
confide  all  my  grievances).  She  is  worn  out  with  a  cough 
and  breaking  up  of  constitution,  and  we  but  seldom  can 
come  together,  which  is  when  I  am  able  to  cross  the  street 

to  go  to  her I  experience  a  daily  increase  of  pain 

and  feebleness,  so  that  I  am  (at  least  during  this  severe 


288 


Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel. 


[1837. 


weather)  totally  confined  to  my  solitary  home  ;  and  what  is 
worse,  my  eyes  will  not  serve  me  to  amuse  myself  with 
reading.  But  what  business  had  I  to  live  so  very  long  ? 

FROM  SIR  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

FELDHATJSEX,  May  7,  1837. 

....  I  will  try  to  entertain  you  with  some  celestial 
affairs  in  which  it  is  delightful  to  find  you  still  taking  so 
much  interest.  As  you  allude  to  Saturn's  satellites  in  your 
letter  of  Octoher  20,  I  must  tell  you  that  I  have  at  last  got 
decisive  observations  of  the  sixth  satellite  (the  farthest  of 
my  father's  new  ones).  I  had  all  but  given  the  search  up 
in  despair,  when  no  longer  ago  than  last  Thursday  (May  4th 
inst.),  being  occupied  in  taking  measures  of  the  angles  of 
position  of  the  five  old  satellites  with  the  twenty-foot  and  a 
polished  new  mirror,  behold,  there  stood  Mr.  Sixth  !  a  little 


foil. 


short  of  its  preceding  elongation.  I  have  kept  it  well  in 
sight  from  14h  26'"  Sid.  T.  till  16h  35m,  in  which  time  it  had 
advanced  visibly  in  its  orbit  from  bdoro,  the  line  of  the 

AIISSB  (as  in  figure)  to  above.     In 
this     interval    the    planet    had 
moved  over  fully  one  diameter  of 
the   body  towards  the  preceding  side,   and,  therefore,  had 


CHAP.  VII.] 


Saturn* 


289 


it  been  a  star,  must  have  passed  over  it,  whereas  it  preserved 
the  same  apparent  distance  all  the  while  from  the  edge  of  the 
ring.  (N.B.  Saturn  not  very  far  from  the  zenith  on  merid.) 
Next  night,  Friday,  May  5,  Saturn  most  gloriously  seen  : 
•quite  as  sharp  as  any  copper-plate  engraving,  with  power 
240  and  full  aperture.  All  the  five  old  satellites  seen  and 
measured,  being  now  on  the  opposite  side.  Now  consider- 
iibly  short  of  its  greatest  following  elongation;  distance  just 


as  before ;  and,  as  on  Thursday,  it  was  kept  in  view  long 
enough  for  Saturn  to  have  left  it  behind  by  its  own  motion 
had  it  been  a  star.  The  change  of  situation  agrees  perfectly 
with  the  period  ld  9h,  which  is  also  the  reason  why  it  was 
not  seen  May  5th,  being  on  that  night  near  its  inferior  con- 
junction. So  this  is  at  last  a  thing  made  out.  As  for  No. 
Seven  I  have  no  hope  of  ever  seeing  it. 

If  your  eyesight  will  not  suffer  from  it,  do  write  to  Bessel. 
I  am  sure  he  will  be  interested  by  this  observation,  as  he  is 
the  only  astronomer  who  troubles  himself  about  the  system 
of  Saturn.  I  shall  myself  write  to  him  shortly  about  it,  but 
should  Hive  to  have  a  few  more  observations. 

So  now  farewell  once  more,  and,  with  mairy  kind  remem- 
brances to  all  Hanoverian  friends, 

Believe  me,  your  affectionate  nephew, 

•I.  HERSCHEL. 


290  Caroline  L2icretia  Herschel.  [issr. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO   SIR  JOHN   HERSCHEL. 

HAXOVER,  June  11,  1837. 
***** 

....  From  Mr.  Schumacher  I  receive  each  paper  as  it 
comes  from  the  press,  hut  always  with  a  feeling  of  uneasi- 
ness, because  I  am  not  one  of  those  who  can  contribute 
anything  to  their  valuable  communications,  nor  even  under- 
stand all  which  my  defective  eyes  allow  me  to  read.  But 
they  interest  me  exceedingly  when  I  think  what  you  will 
say.  For  instance,  to  a  paper  of  twenty-two  quarto  pages, 
by  Bessel,  "  Uber  den  Einfluss  der  Unregelmassigkeiten  der 
Erde,  auf  geodetische  Arbeiten  und  ihre  Vergleichung  mit 
den  astroiiomischen  Bestimmungen."  *  Perhaps  you  maj- 
have  received  these  papers  before  this  reaches  you,  but  if 
any  are  lost  by  the  way,  I  collect  them  for  3rou  ;  but  I  fear 
I  shall  not  see  the  day  of  all  the  wonders  coming  to  light 
when  yon  return  with  your  budget 

....  I  must  conclude,  for  writing  at  any  time  makes 
me  sad ;  and  since  I  began  this  letter  the  notice  of  the  death 
of  our  King  has  arrived,  and  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  has 
been  this  day  proclaimed  King  of  Hanover.  It  makes  me 
feel  as  if  T  was  doubly  separated  from  England,  for  your 
King  is  now  no  longer  my  King.  And  we  lose  the  Duke  of 
Cambridge,  who  Avas  ever  so  kind  to  me  wherever  he  saw 
me.  Last  winter  he  introduced  me  to  his  brother,  then 
Duke  of  Cumberland,  who  was  here  on  a  visit,  at  the 
concert,  who  spoke  to  me  of  you  first  as  my  son,  but  recol- 
lected himself  that  I  was  only  aunt 

*  *  -•;:-  *  *- 

I  had  illuminated  my  front  rooms  with  twenty  candles 
(snuffed  them  all  myself,  for  Betty  was  out  to  see  the  show) 
on  the  evening  of  the  King's  arrival,  and  so  I  shall  again 

*  "  On  the  Influence  of  the  Irregularities  of  the  Earth  on  Geodetic  Operations, 
and  their  Comparison  with  Astronomical  Determinations." 


vii. j       Sir  John  Herschel's  Return.  291 

next  Saturday  or   Sunday,  when  the   Queen  is  expected. 
More  I  cannot  do  !  .... 

....  My  head  becomes  crowded  with  melancholy  fore- 
bodings of  my  not  lasting  so  long  as  to  hear  of  your  safe 
return  to  your  home  and  the  friends  which  I  think  are  only 
to  be  found  in  happy  England ;  so,  instead  of  tracing  my 
gloomy  imaginations  on  paper,  I  go  to  sleep  till  Betty  rouses 

me  with  a  cup  of  coffee But  all  I  hear  of  you  is 

told  in  a  tone  of  admiration,  &c.,  &c.,  and  it  is  felt  by  me 
like  a  drop  of  oil  supplying  my  expiring  lamp. 

J.    F.   W.   HERSCHEL  TO   MISS   HERSCHEL. 

CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE, 

Sept.  7,  1837. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

*•#*#-#• 

I  need  hardly  say  how  much  we  are  rejoiced  to  see 
your  handwriting  once  more,  though  that  joy  is  damped 
by  your  complaints  of  winter  indisposition.  And  such  a 
winter!  by  all  accounts.  May  this  prove  a  better!  and 
may  we  hope  to  find  you  in  no  worse  health  and  spirits  when 
we  come  to  see  you  next  summer  in  Hanover.  For  so,  if  it 
please  God  to  lead  us  safe  home,  according  to  our  present 
altered  plans,  we  most  assuredly  propose  to  do. 

I  say  our  altered  plans,  for  you  know  our  intention  was 
to  have  embarked  next  March  for  Rio  Janeiro,  and  there  to 
have  spent  two  or  three  months,  after  which  to  have  taken 
passage  in  the  Brazilian  packet  for  England,  which  would 
have  probably  detained  us  till  October,  and  have  rendered  a 
visit  to  Hanover  that  season  impracticable.  But  by  striking 
off  this  Brazilian  trip,  and  taking  our  course  directly  home- 
wards, so  much  time  will  be  saved,  and  all  the  rest  of  our 
domestic  arrangements  become  so  much  simplified  that  it 
seems  like  finding  a  treasure,  as  a  fund  of  time  will  thereby 
be  placed  at  our  disposal,  the  first  fruits  of  which,  as  in 


292  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL 

all  love  and  duty  bound,  we  have  determined  to  devote  to 
you;  or  rather,  I  should  say,  that,  when  in  talking  over 
with  Margaret  all  the  pro's  and  cow's  of  the  question, 
whether  to  return  home  direct,  or  via  Brazil? — this  conside- 
ration at  once  decided  it  in  favour  of  the  direct  course,  her 
desire  to  see  you  outweighing  every  consideration  of  amuse- 
ment or  temporary  gratification  which  a  visit  to  Rio  could 
offer.  So  now  be  sure,  clear  aunty,  and  keep  yourself  well, 
and  let  us  find  you  in  your  best  looks  and  spirits ;  and, 
although  what  you  say  respecting  our  good  Mrs.  Becke- 
dorff's  health  is  somewhat  deplorable,  jret  I  will  indulge  the 
hope  that  she  too  will  perform  a  part  in  the  dramatis 
persona;  of  that  happy  meeting.  Meanwhile,  as  the  time  of 
our  departure  hence  approaches,  we  shall  take  care  and 
apprise  you  of  all  our  movements,  respecting  which  it  is 
impossible  at  present  to  speak  more  precisely. 

FROM  H.E.H.   THE    DUKE  OF  CAMBRIDGE. 

CAMBRIDGE  HOUSE,  May  18,  1838. 
MY  DEAR  MADAM, — 

Having  just  been  informed  by  the  newspapers  that 
your  nephew  is  safely  landed  in  this  country,  I  hasten  to 
write  you  a  few  lines  by  this  night's  mail  to  congratulate 
you  most  sincerely  on  this  event,  which  I  know  will  give  you 
pleasure. 

I  am  unable  to  send  you  any  further  details  about  him  or 
his  family,  as  I  am  not  aware  if  he  is  arrived  as  yet  in 
town,  and  should  this  not  be  the  case,  my  letter  will  perhaps 
be  the  first  to  give  you  this  welcome  news,  which  I  shall 
certainly  be  delighted  at. 

I  trust  you  continue  enjoying  your  health;  and  with  best 
wishes,  &c.,  &c., 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

ADOLPHUS. 


CHAP,  vii.]     Return  of  Sir  John  Herschel.  293 

SIR  JOHN  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

LONDON,  May  20,  1838. 

Here  we  are,  my  dear  aunt,  at  last,  safely  landed  and 
housed,  all  in  good  health  and,  as  you  may  suppose,  in 
good  spirits  at  our  return.  We  ourselves  and  our  six  little 
ones  were  very  comfortable  during  our  nine  weeks'  voyage  in 
the  good  ship  Windsor,  which  is  lying  snug  and  sound  in 
the  river  at  Blackwall,  with  all  our  things  on  board,  tele- 
scopes and  all  (as  well  as  the  astronomical  results  of  our 
expedition).  We  left  our  ship,  however,  at  the  entrance  of 
the.Channel,  and  got  to  London  in  a  steamer  under  the  flag 
of  King  Leopold,  of  Belgium,  which,  having  been  to 
Glasgow  to  take  in  her  machinery,  was  returning  without 
passengers,  not  yet  being  fitted  up  for  their  reception.  This 
was  a  most  opportune  and  unexpected  piece  of  good  fortune, 
as  I  assure  you  we  found  most  sensibly,  by  the  non-arrival  of 
the  ship  till  this  morning,  having  been  four  days  longer  at 
sea,  beating  about  against  contrary  winds.  I  have  more 
particulars  to  tell  than  would  fill  this  paper,  which  I  must 
reserve  till  our  meeting,  which  will  not  now  be  longer  de- 
layed than  is  indispensable  for  getting  our  baggage  on  shore, 
and  passing  it  through  the  Custom  House,  and  transport- 
ing it  by  a  barge  to  Windsor,  and  so  to  Slough.  I  hope 
and  trust  to  find  you  as  well  in  health  as  your  two  letters  to 
John  and  Mary  Baldwin  allow  us  to  suppose 

The  visit  promised  in  the  foregoing  letter  was 
paid  in  July,  when  Sir  John  Herschel,  accompanied 
by  his  little  son,  spent  a  few  days  with  his  aunt, 
whose  intense  anxiety  as  to  the  proper  tretatment 
of  her  little  grand-nephew — his  sleep,  his  food,  his 
playthings — kept  her  in  a  constant  state  of  alarm  on 


294  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschcl.  [1838. 

his  account.  "  I,"  she  writes,  "  rather  suffered  him  to 
hunger  than  would  let  him  eat  anything  hurtful ;  in- 
deed, I  would  not  let  him  eat  anything  at  all  without 
his  papa  was  present."  Great  as  was  the  joy  of  the 
dear  venerable  lady  to  rest  her  aged  eyes  once  more 
on  almost  the  only  living  being  upon  whom  she  poured 
some  of  that  wealth  of  affection  with  which  her  heart 
never  ceased  to  overflow,  it  is  on  the  disappointments 
and  shortcomings  of  those  few  precious  days  that  she 
dwells  ;  and,  if  she  could  have  felt  resentment  towards 
her  nephew,  it  would  have  been  roused  by  the  abrupt 
termination  of  his  visit.  Her  lamentations  are  piteous. 
Solely  with  the  intention  of  sparing  her  feelings,  her 
nephew  went  away  without  letting  her  know  the  exact 
time  beforehand  of  his  departure,  and  made  no  formal 
leave-taking,  when  he  bade  her  good-night  to  return 
to  his  inn.  To  her  infinite  dismay  and  distress,  she 
found  that  he  and  his  son  had  quitted  Hanover  at 
four  o'clock  on  the  following  morning.  It  was  kindly 
intended,  but  it  was  a  mistake  that  gave  intense  pain. 
Her  introduction  to  her  little  grand-nephew  is  described 
as  follows  by  his  father,  H.  Herschel : — 

....  "  Now  let  me  tell  3*011  how  things  fell  out.  Dr. 
Groskopff  took  Willie  with  him  to  aunty,  but  without  saying 
who  he  was.  Says  she,  '  What  little  boy  is  that  ? '  Says 
he,  '  The  son  of  a  friend  of  mine.  Ask  him  his  name.' 
However,  AVillie  would  not  tell  his  name.  '  Where  do  you 
come  from,  little  fellow  ?'  '  From  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,' 


CHAP,  vii.]        Visit  from  her  Grand-nephew.          295 

says  Willie.  '  What  is  that  he  says  ?'  '  He  says  he  comes 
from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.'  '  Ay  ?  and  who  is  he  ? 
What  is  his  name  ?*  '  His  name  is  Herschel.'  *  Yes,'  says 
Willie,  '  William  James  Herschel.'  '  Ach,  meiu  Gott !  das 
ist  nicht  mogiich ;  ist  clieser  meines  Xeffeii's  Solm  ?'  And  so 
it  all  came  out,  and  when  I  came  to  her  all  was  understood, 
.and  we  sat  down  and  talked  as  quietly  as  if  we  had  parted 

but  yesterday 

"  Groskopff,  by  the  way,  was  recounting  a  strange  feat 
which,  to  give  you  some  notion  of  the  sort  of  fterson  (par 
rapport  an  physique),  she  performed,  not  longer  than  half  a 
year  ago.  Remember  it  is  a  person  of  eighty-eight  or 
eighty-nine  of  whom  we  are  speaking.  Well !  what  do  you 
say  of  such  a  person  being  able  to  put  her  foot  behind  her 
back  and  scratch  her  ear,  in  imitation  of  a  dog,  with  it,  in 
one  of  her  merry  moods?" 

The  "  Day-Book,"  which,  as  already  stated,  had  been 
recommenced  in  the  year  1833.  The  first  volume  of 
the  new  Day-Book  concludes  in  May,  1837,  with 
comments  on  Baily's  account  of  Flamsteed,  and  recol- 
lections of  days  spent  at  Greenwich  in  1799,  when  she 
had  seen  and  wondered  at  the  piles  of  manuscripts 
accumulated  there.  "Dr.  Maskelyne  was  not  indif- 
ferent to  the  stores  of  observations  of  his  predecessor, 
for  he  even  attempted  to  make  me  undertake  the  exa- 
mination of  some  of  Halley's  scribblings  on  fragments 
of  waste  paper  [to  see  if  they]  might  not  belong  to 
some  star  or  other.  But  such  things  cannot  be  done 
in  a  moment,  and  the  parcel  was  restored  to  its  dusty 
shelf.  Poor  Dr.  Maskelyne  had  but  one  assistant, 


296  Caroline  Lncretia  Herschcl. 

with  a  salary  of  £70  a-year,  whom  I  once  heard  lament 
that  all  the  planets  happened  to  pass  the  meridian  in 
the  night-time ! " 

The  entries  are  chiefly  of  the  numerous  visitors  she- 
received,  but  there  are  frequent  intervals  of  several 
months  when  illness  or  disinclination  to  write  pre- 
vented her  continuing  her  Journal  regularly.  The 
English  Quarterly  and  Monthly  Reviews  and  news- 
papers, and  James's  novels,  supplied  her  with  constant 
reading,  and  every  allusion  to  her  brother's  or  her 
nephew's  labours  is  carefully  noted.  It  is  evident  that 
she  still  was  in  the  habit  of  taking  ample  notes  of  any 
book  that  interested  her,  in  spite  of  complaints  of  the 
growing  failure  of  sight,  and  that,  when  tolerably  well, 
no  day  was  considered  altogether  satisfactory  which 
was  passed  in  solitude.  It  was  in  May,  1833,  that 
she  moved  to  No.  376,  Braunschwei^er  Strasse,  and 
here  she  continued  to  dwell  for  the  remainder  of  her 
days. 

MISS   HEKSCHEL  TO   LADY  HEKSCHEL. 

HAXOVEU,  July  30,  1S3S. 
MY   DEAREST    XlECK, 

I  hope  that  when  you  receive  this  my  dear  nephew,  with 
his  precious  charge  (little  William),  will  be  safely  restored 
to  your  longing  arms,  and  that  he  may  have  found  you,  with 
all  the  little  family,  in  perfect  health.  I  wish  to  be  assured 
by  a  few  lines  from  your  dear  hands  as  soon  as  possible,  for 
I  cannot  divest  myself  of  a  fear  that  the  botheration  and 
intrusion  of  some  of  the  stupid  Hanoverians  must  have 


CHAP,  vii.]    Sir  y.  Herschel  at  Home  again.  297 

been  very  inconvenient  to  him.  To  which  may  be  added 
the  change  of  weather  from  excessive  heat  to  very  cold 
and  wet,  to  which  at  this  present  moment  (as  far  as  I  know) 
they  are  still  exposed,  for  I  think  they  must  be  now  in 
Hamburg 

Silt   J.    F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

LONDON,  Aug.  6,  1838. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

Willie  and  I  arrived  in  London  safe  and  heart}-  on 
Friday  night  about  eight  o'clock,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  we 
found  all  here  quite  well — both  mamma  and  all  the  little 
folks,  who,  as  }*ou  may  easily  imagine,  were  in  great  joy,  and 
full  of  enquiries  about  you  and  about  all  our  adventures  in 
foreign  parts.  Grandmamma  Stewart,  and  all  her  circle 
also,  with  exception  of  poor  James  S.  (who  is,  however, 
much  better,  and  we  hope  permanently),  are  well,  and  join 
us  in  kind  enquiries  after  you.  I  found  here  my  cousin, 
Thomas  Baldwin,  and  his  excellent  and  most  amiable  wife- 
Cousin  Mary  had  left  us,  and  was  returned  to  Anstey. 

I  found  Dr.  Olbers  well,  and  have  to  thank  you,  in  his. 
name,  for  the  Cape  wine,  a  bottle  of  which  was  produced  at 
dinner  the  day  I  dined  there.  I  assure  you  it  was  drank  in 
good  company,  being  associated  (not  mixed)  with  Hock  of 
240  years  of  age ! !  Dr.  O.  is  weak  and  corpulent,  but  is. 
otherwise  in  the  full  enjojnnent  of  his  mental  faculties,  and 
in  good  spirits. 

I  could  not  persuade  myself  to  encounter  a  regular  parting- 
with  you,  and,  in  fact,  I  found  the  distance  to  Bremen  so. 
much  greater,  on  enquiry,  than  I  had  fancied  it,  that  it  was 
necessary  to  leave  Hanover  at  four  a.m.,  which,  of  course, 
prevented  all  further  meeting.  "We  shall  be  most  anxious 
to  hear  from  you.  M.  will  write  in  a  day  or  two  (and  so 
will  the  children)  to  thank  you  for  all  your  kind  remem- 


298  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [isss. 

brances  of  them,   and  for  the  many  pretty  and  valuable 
tilings  you  have  sent ;  and  till  then,  believe  me, 
My  dear  aunt, 

Ever  your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HEUSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.  F.   W.    HERSCHEL. 

HAXOVEI;,  Aug.  21,  1838. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

By  the  arrival  of  your  letter  of  the  6th  I  was  re- 
lieved from  my  fears  for  the  safety  of  you  and  your  dear 
little  fellow-traveller,  almost  a  week  sooner  than  I  had 

reason  to  hope. 

*-*•*** 

....  I  had  so  longed  for  a  few  hours  of  confidential 
•conversation  with  you  which  would  have  spared  me  the  un- 
pleasant task  of  writing  about  earthly  matters My 

good  neighbours  came  to  wish  me  joy,  and  congratulate  me 
on  having  seen  my  glorious  nephew  and  his  son  (who  has 
left  no  few  admirers  behind,  I  can  tell  you). 

Dr.  Muliry  has  lost  a  sister,  a  solitary  old  maid,  like  my- 
self, whom  they  could  not  leave  till  she  was  buried.  But 
she  was  in  some  respects  better  oif  than  I,  for  I  found  it 
necessary  to  order  all  these  matters  myself.  Miss  Becke- 
dorff  and  Mde.  Snipping  will  at  my  death  have  to  deliver  a 
sealed  packet  to  Dr.  Groskopff,  my  executor,  in  which,  011 
his  opening  in  their  presence,  he  will  find  the  means  requi- 
site for  discharging  all  the  items  specified  in  an  enclosed 
.memorandum  of  directions.  Such  matters  I  had  wished  to 
talk  over  with  you,  thinking  it  not  unnecessary  you  should 
know  a  little  about  the  way  in  which  I  have  always  managed 
my  aifairs.  As  soon  as  I  was  left  to  myself,  in  the  year 
1788,  I  kept  a  book  strictly  accounting  for  my  expenses, 
which  \vas  to  serve  as  a  voucher  of  the  orderly  life  I  led. 


CHAP,  vii.]          Letter  to  Lady  Herschel.  299 

But  being  frequently  under  the  necessity  of  assisting  one  or 
other  of  my,  as  I  thought,  poor  (but  say  extravagant)  rela- 
tions, I  began  to  keep  a  spare  box,  by  way  of  showing  to 
what  extent  I  have  thus  robbed  myself.  ....  I  am  sorry 
to  trouble  you  with  such  details,  but  I  find  myself  so  unwell 
at  present  that  I  cannot  rest  till  I  have  cautioned  you  not 
to  ask  any  question  about  me  of  any  one,  for  nobody  knows 
anything  about  me — my  confidence  in  Mrs.  Beckedorff,  even, 
can  only  be  partial,  as  we  can  only  see  each  other  so 
seldom. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO   LADY  HEKSCHEL. 

HAXOVEG,  Sept.  24,  1838. 

#  *  *  *  * 

I  see  by  the  postscripts  you  directed  my  nephew  to  add 
to  your  letter  that  you  know  exactty  what  will  make  his 
poor  old  aunt  happy  ;  and  I  must  beg  you  to  make  my  peace 
with  my  dear  little  William,  for  I  fear  the  angry  looks  I  gave 
him  when  seeing  him  climbing  too  high  on  an  open  window 
two  stories  above  the  pavement,  can  have  left  no  favourable 
impression  on  his  recollection.  Unfortunately  we  could  not 
converse  together  :  he  talked  too  soft  and  quick  for  me  (I 
do  not  hear  so  well  as  formerly),  and  my  mixture  of  German 

and  English  was  not  intelligible  to  him Had  the 

knitting  with  beads  been  known  forty  years  sooner,  it  would 
have  been  one  of  the  accomplishments  with  which  I  came, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  into  England  in  1772,  for  there 
was  no  kind  of  ornamental  needlework,  knotting,  plaiting 
hair,  stringing  beads  and  bugles,  £c.,  of  which  I  did  not 
make  samples  by  way  of  mastering  the  art.  But  as  it  was 
my  lot  to  be  the  Cinderella  of  the  family  (being  the  only 
girl)  I  could  never  find  time  for  improving  myself  in  many 


300  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [isss. 

things  I  knew,  and  which,  after  all,  proved  of  no  use  to  me 
afterwards,  except  what  little  I  knew  of  music,  being  just 
able  to  play  the  second  violin  of  an  overture  or  easy  quar- 
tette, which  my  father  took  a  pleasure  in  teaching  me. 
N.B.  When  my  mother  was  not  at  home.  Amen.  I  must 
think  no  more  of  those  times,  only  just  say  I  came  to  Bath 
with  a  mind  eager  to  learn  and  to  work,  and  never  changed 
my  mind  till  I  came  here  again,  but  now  I  can  no  more. 
....  One  thing  I  must  tell  my  nephew,  which  is,  that  I 
hope  I  have  found  a  deserving  protector  of  my  sweeper  in 
Director  Hausmann,  and  I  hope  either  himself  or  his  son 
will  find  us  a  few  comets  with  it  yet.  He  is  a  constant 
visitor  of  mine. 

SIR  J.  F.  V.    HERSCHEL  TO   MISS  HERSCHEL. 

SLOUGH,  Nov.  26,  1838. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

I  have  received  a  letter  from  Sir  "Win.  Hamilton, 
Astronomer  Royal,  Dublin,  informing  me  that  the  Royal 
Irish  Academy  have  elected  you  an  honorary  member  of  that 
bodjr.  The  diploma  is  by  this  time  on  its  way  to  my  care, 
and  I  will,  so  soon  as  I  receive  it,  take  the  very  first  secure 
opportunity  of  {transmitting  it  to  you. 

Yesterday  I  received  your  most  welcome  letter  and  Mr. 
Bagulawski's  in  one.  I  wrote  to  him  some  time  ago  rela- 
tive to  Halley's  comet.  He  seems  a  very  diligent  observer, 
and  I  am  glad  you  have  seen  him. 

Your  letter  of  September  24th,  with  its  numerous  dates, 
was  like  a  little  diary,  and  almost  made  us  fancy  ourselves 
with  you  in  Hanover 

I  am  sony  to  see,  on  looking  at  my  banker's  account, 
that  you  have  not  (as  you  promised  to  do)  drawn  on  Cohen 
for  the  £50  of  this  half  year.  Pray  do,  and  that  soon,  or  I 
shall  be  sadly  disappointed. 


<'HAP.  vii.]  Elected  Hon.  Member  of  the  R.  A.  /.  S.  301 

We  have  got  a  most  excellent  president  for  the  Royal  So- 
ciety in  the  Marquis  of  Northampton.  He  presided  at  the 
anniversary  dinner  on  the  30th,  and  did  the  honours  with 
great  credit. 

A  Copley  Medal  was  awarded  to  Gauss  for  his  researches, 
theoretical  and  practical,  on  the  subject  of  terrestrial  mag- 
netism. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.  F.    W.  HERSCHEL. 

HAXOVEU,  Dec.  17,  1838. 
MY  DEAR  NEPHEW, — 

First  and  foremost  let  me  dispatch  what  may  he 
called  business.  In  the  first  place,  I  thank  you  for  your  kind 
letter  and  communication  of  having  so  great  an  honour  con- 
ferred on  me  as  to  be  admitted  an  honorary  member  of  the 
Royal  Irish  Academy.  I  cannot  help  crying  out  aloud  to 
myself,  every  now  and  then,  What  is  THAT  for  ?  Next  I 
must  beg  you  to  return  my  thanks  in  what  words  you  think 
proper  I  should  express  them,  and  if  you  will  only  send 
me  a  cop}r  of  the  diploma,  and  keep  the  original  along  with 
my  other  trophies,  allowing  them  perhaps  a  corner  in  some 
such  box  as  that  your  dear  mother  had  for  suchlike  things, 
for  I  have  no  other  desire  but  to  be  remembered  by  you  and 

Lady  H.,  and  your  children,  for  yet  awhile 

....  It  is  a  long  while  since  you  asked  me  if  I  wanted 
any  of  my  Indexes  to  Flamsteed's  Catalogue  of  omitted 
stars.  If  there  should  yet^be  any  left,  I  could  wish  to  have 
one  or  two ;  for  you  hinted  to  rne  I  might  leave  Baily's 
work  to  the  "  Archives  "  here,  which  I  intend  to  do,  and 
then  I  should  like  to  give  an  Index  along  with  it. 


302  Caroline  Liicretia  HerscheL  [1839. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  JOHN  HERSCHEL. 

HAXOVEII,  Jem.  7,  1839. 

I  see,  to  my  sorrow,  that  my  letter  was  not  come  to  hand 
at  the  time  when  you  directed  the  parcel  with  the  diploma, 
which  was  sent  me  on  the  2nd  of  January,  accompanied  by  a 
note  from  the  President,  which  I  beg  you  will  answer  for 
me,  and  for  that  purpose  transcribe  here  the  same  : — 

OBSERVATORY,  DUBLIN, 

Dec.  4,  1838. 
"  MADAM, — 

"  In  transmitting  to  you  the  accompanying  Diploma 
irom  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  I  wish  to  be  allowed  to  add, 
as  I  thus  do,  the  expression  of  my  own  high  sense  of  your 
services  to  Astronomy,  and  of  the  eminent  degree  in  which 
you  have  deserved  the  present  testimonial. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Madam,  £c.,  &c., 

"  WILLIAM  KAXAN  HAMILTON, 
"P.K.I.A." 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  JOHN"  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Dec.  1,  1839. 
DEAR  NEPHEW, — 

Do  not  you  think  I  have  been  very  good  to  let  the 
most  dismal  month  in  the  year  pass  without  troubling  you 
for  accounts  of  the  progress  my  dear  niece  is  making  in  her 
recoveiy  ? 

My  dear  niece  said  once,  I  should  write  often,  and  in  few 
lines  inform  her  how  I  go  on,  so  I  must  say — I  get  up  as 
usual  every  day,  change  my  clothing,  eat,  drink,  and  go  to 
sleep  again  on  the  sofa,  except  I  am  roused  by  visitors ; 
then  I  talk  till  I  can  no  more — nineteen  to  the  dozen ! 
N.B.  I  don't  tell  Jibs,  though  they  may  not  always  like  what 
I  say. 

I  have  been  twice  at  the  concert,  and  each  time   been 


CHAP,  vii.]  Life  ill  Hanover.  UOS 

honoured  with  a  wie  gelits  ?*  by  His  Majesty,  and  the  notice 
of  many  acquaintances  whom  I  have  no  opportunity  of  see- 
ing elsewhere,  the  public  concerts  being  the  only  place 
where  I  can  go  with  the  least  trouble  to  myself  or  others. 
You  say  when  I  talk  of  the  gelehrten  then  all  goes  well,  but 

I  know  nothing  about  them 

But  one  piece  of  news  I  must  tell  you,  Avhich  is,  that  a 
fortnight  after  Dr.  Macller  had  been  the  conductor  of  Mde. 
AVitte  (the  Moon)  and  her  daughter  to  the  meeting  at  Pyr- 
mont,  I  received  two  cards,  the  one,  "  Professor  Dr.  Madler,'* 
under  it,  "Minna  Witte-Ferfo&.f  The  reason  Madame 
"Witte  gives  for  this  hasty  courtship  is,  that  it  is  Dr.  M.'s 
first  love,  and  that  he  would  not  wait,  so  the  lady  said  yes  \ 
As  you  have  seen  this  lad}',  I  would  give  you  this  piece  of 

news. 

*  *  *  *  # 

I  beg  you  will  give  a  true  account  of  my  dear  niece's  and 
the  children's  health,  not  forgetting  the  babe  and  how  she 
will  be  named,  that  I  may  enter  the  same  in  my  biogra- 
phical account. 

I  remain,  my  dear  nephew, 

Your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

The  second  Day-Book  concludes  in  July,  1839,  and 
is  in  all  respects  like  the  preceding  one,  but  contains- 
here  and  there  touches  and  sentiments  of  which  her 
own  words  can  only  do  justice. 

Aug.  3rd. — I  went  to  buy  some  clothing  for  wearing  at 
home,  and  went  to  my  niantua-inaker  to  give  directions.  I 
had  to  climb  up  to  the  third  story,  and  I  was  of  course 
quite  knocked  up  when  I  came  home,  but  it  is  my  intention 

*  How  d'vc  do  ?  t  Betrothed. 


304  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschcl         [i 839-1840. 

to  continue  to  take  some  exercise  as  long  as  the  weather 
and  the  length  of  the  afternoon  will  permit. 

Aug.  26£/i. — My  niece  Knipping  came  in  the  afternoon  to 
assist  me  in  some  needlework — we  did  not  do  much  ! 

Sept.  25i/i. — To-day  I  was  made  happy  hy  a  visit  of 
Alexander  Humboldt ;  which,  though  it  was  extended  to 
the  utmost  limit  of  the  time  which  this  interesting  man 
could  spare  me,  was  too  short  for  all  I  wished  to  hear  and 
liad  to  sa}r,  which,  as  the  theme  of  our  conversation  was  my 
nephew,  may  be  easily  imagined. 

Oct.  5th  &  6th. — Mr.  Hohemhaum  and  the  carpenter  were 
with  me  to  pack  up  the  seven-foot  telescope.  I  assisted  as 
well  as  I  could,  being  very  ill  all  the  while. 

Oct.  7th. — Dr.  G.  called  for  a  moment,  but  nobody  else  ! 

Dec.  WtJi. — I  went  in  the  evening  to  the  concert,  where 
I  exposed  myself  most  sadly  by  falling  a-crying  when  the 
King  most  kindly  came  to  me  to  inquire  after  my  health. 
I  do  not  think  I  shall  have  the  courage  to  show  myself 
there  again  in  a  huriy. 

Jan.  27£/t. — This  is  the  first  day  since  the  30th  December 
that  the  ice  is  detached  from  my  sitting-room  window. 

Jan.  31st. — Mr.  Hausmann  brought  me  some  Journals, 
and  talked  for  an  hour  of  old  times  with  me,  as  he  ever 
does,  good  man  ! 

Feb.  1th. — A  letter  from  my  niece  came  this  morning  by 
the  Hamburger  post,  which  will  make  me  happy  for  some 
time,  and  make  me  bear  my  painful  solitude  more  patiently. 

March  17th. — Thank  God  the  7th  and  16th  March  are  got 
over,  and  I  begin  to  recollect  that  I  have  much  else  to  do 
than  bewail  myself  at  being  obliged  to  spend  such  days 
severed  from  all  that  arc,  or  were,  so  dear.'  ....  I  found 
my  poor  friend  [Mrs.  Beckedorff  ]  very  much  altered,  but 
before  I  left  her  I  thought  she  looked  a  twelvemonth 
younger  for  our  two  hours'  cltat.  But  we  both  were  obliged 


CHAP,  vii.]  Her  Day-Book.  305 

to  part,  for  we  could  no  more.  Yesterday  she  sent  me 
some  fine  flowers,  as  usual  on  my  birthday.  Dr.  Miihry 
left  a  card  ;  two  of  my  nieces  called,  and  Hofrathin 
Ubelode  brought  me  some  flowers.  They  left  me  fatigued 
to  death,  to  spend  the  long  evening  in  solitude. 

June  18th. — Yesterday  Mr.  Hausmann  came  to  see  me, 
and  brought  the  Philosophical  Magazine  for  June,  in  which 
I  had  the  pleasure  to  see  that  Dr.  Lamont  has  observed 
three  of  the  Georgium  Sidus  satellites. 

July  3rd.- — Dr.  G.  brought  me  an  extract  from  The  Sun 
that  my  nephew  has  been  created  a  baronet  on  the  occasion 
of  the  coronation. 

July  9th. — My  nephew  arrived  in  Hanover  in  the  evening. 

July  Wth. — In  the  afternoon  I  saw  him  and  my  little 
grand-nephew  for  a  few  hours. 

July  %5th. — My  nephew  and  his  son  took  tea  with  me, 
and  we  soon  parted,  without  taking  leave,  and  next  morning 
I  am  told  they  left  Hanover  at  four  in  the  morning.  More 
I  cannot  say  ! 

Oct.  24£/j. — Mr.  Hausmann  came  in  the  forenoon  and 
took  the  box  with  the  mirror  of  my  sweeper  with  him,  and 
in  the  evening  he  came  to  receive  the  stand.  I  am  glad  my 
poor  sweeper  is  now  in  good  hands  ! 

Oct.  29f/i.— Mrs.  Knipping*  spent  an  hour  with  me  in  the 
dusk  of  the  evening,  and  read  an  act  of  a  play. 

Dec.  30th. — In  the  afternoon  Friiulein  S.  came  to  see  me, 
but  she  is  deaf.  I  talked  with  her  for  a  couple  of  hours 
without  either  of  us  being  the  wiser. 

Jan.  5th. — Went  in  the  evening  to  the  concert ;  had  some 
talk  with  the  Levies,  who  delighted  the  company  with  their 
performance,  especially  the  youngest  son,  eight  years  of  age, 

*Mrs.  Knipping  was  the  daughter  of  Dietrich  Hcrschel,  and  the  one  of 
the  family  Miss  Herschel  loved. 

x 


306  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1839. 

who  gave  several  pieces  on  the  French  horn.  Conversed 
with  several  persons  besides  the  Prince  Solms. 

Jan.  20£/i. — I  have  been  to  the  concert  last  night  to  hear 
the  wonderful  violinist,  Ole  Bull.  It  was  very  crowded  for 
the  confined  room,  though  the  largest  in  Hanover  next  the 
play-house.  By  the  help  of  Miss  B.  and  the  M.'s  I  got 
safely  through  the  crowd  to  my  chair.  But  I  was  somewhat 
disappointed,  for,  by  the  report  of  those  who  had  heard  Ole 
Bull  before,  I  expected  to  hear  a  virtuoso  on  the  violin  who 
would  have  given  us  an  idea  of  the  manner  of  performance 
of  a  Jordine,  Kramer,  Jacob  Herschel,  and  Dietrich  too ; 
but  it  is  more  like  conjuration  than  playing  on  a  violin. 

Feb.  12£/i. — Dr.  Lissing  paid  me  a  visit.  He  wished  me 
to  subscribe  to  a  work  on  Magnetism,  but  I  think  it  would 
look  only  like  affectation  to  let  my  name  appear  among  the 
learned  subscribers  on  a  subject  of  which  I  know  so  little. 

March  16th. — Mrs.  Beckedorff  sent  me  two  beautiful 
flowers,  accompanied  by  her  good  wishes,  which  she  never 
forgets  to  do  on  my  birthday.  Mde.  Knipping,  and  others, 
came  to  wish  me  to  live  many  more  years, — but  what  can 
I  say  ? 

March  23rd. — I  was  at  the  last  subscription  concert. 
His  Majesty  was  there,  and  asked  me  how  I  did  ?  I  said, 
tolerably  !  This  was  all  our  conversation. 

July  IQth. — The  whole  of  yesterday  I  had  no  other  pro- 
spect but  that  it  would  have  been  the  last  of  the  days  of 
sorrow,  trouble,  and  disappointment  I  have  spent  from  the 
moment  I  had  any  recollection  of  niy  existence,  which  is 

from  between  nry  third  and  fourth  year In  the  night 

I  fell  out  of  one  fainting  fit  into  another,  and  when  I  came 
to  my  recollection,  between  six  and  seven  in  the  morning, 
I  found  Dr.  G.  sitting  before  me  talking  loud  in  his  usual 
nonsensical  way.  Him  had  Betty  called  in  her  fright,  for 
his  wife  (who  is  of  use  to  nobody)  is  gone  to  spend  the 


CHAP,  vii.]  End  of  Day-Book.  307 

summer  months  in  the  country.  Mde.  Knipping  also  is 
away. 

July  25f/i. — Mr.  Hausmann,  junior,  and  Mr.  Hohenbaum 
called  to  look  at  the  photographic al  drawing.  I  am  told  it 
is  the  only  specimen  of  the  kind  in  Hanover. 

This  Day-book,  No.  2,  is  now  full,  and  I  shall  not  be  easy 
till  it  is  deposited  in  a  portfolio,  in  which  will  also  be 
found  the  Mem.-book  9 It  often  enables  me  to  con- 
tradict erroneous  impertinent  notions  concerning  my  brother 
William's  disinterested  character. 

I  am  now  not  able  even  to  look  over,  much  less  to  correct, 
what  I  have  scribbled,  but  it  must  go  as  it  is.  Perhaps  my 
dear  niece  may  look  into  them  at  some  leisure  moment,  and 
she  will  see  what  a  solitary  and  useless  life  I  have  led  these 
seventeen  years,  all  owing  to  not  finding  Hanover,  nor  any- 
one in  it,  like  what  I  left,  when  the  best  of  brothers  took 
me  with  him  to  England  in  August,  1772  ! 

SIR  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

SLOUGH,  Oct.  23,  1839. 
DEAR  AUNT, — 

....  Now  let  me  reply  to  your  two  letters  of 
August  26  and  October  10,  the  last  of  which,  being  so 
entirely  in  your  old  style,  made  us  very  happy.  I  now  go 
so  little  to  London,  and  then  only  on  the  business  of  the 
Royal  Society  respecting  this  magnetic  expedition,  that  it 
has  not  yet  been  practicable  for  me  to  call  on  Dr.  Kiiper, 

!whom  I  well  remember,  however,  at  Cumberland  Lodge, 
and  since. 
As  to  sending  either  of  our  boys  to  Germany,  it  is  time 
enough,  as  "W.  is  yet  only  six  years  old,  and  I  assure  you  he 
is  now  learning  German  very  fast. 

M.  desires  me  to  tell  you,  in  answer  to  your  question 
whether  she  preserves  your  letters,  that  she  does  so,  mots 

x  2 


308  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1840. 

carefully.  She  is  sorry  she  omitted  saying  so  in  her  last, 
in  which  she  replied  to  everything  else.  So  do  I,  you  may 
be  sure. 

The  Fables  arrived  safe,  and  W.  must  thank  you  for  them 
himself,  as  well  as  for  your  care  of  him  in  Hanover. 

I  had  the  honour  to  meet  at  dinner,  at  Sir  Gore  Ouseley's, 
the  other  day,  H.E.H.  the  Duke  of  Cambridge.  He  was 
very  particular  in  his  enquiries  after  you.  He  is  quite  well, 
and  his  affable  and  agreeable  manners  make  him  generally 
beloved. 

Your  letter  of  October  10th  relieved  us  of  much  uneasi- 
ness, after  the  alarming  account  with  which  the  former  one 
was  filled.  When  you  once  more  begin  to  write  about  die 
Gelehrten,  &c.,  I  know  all  is  well.  So  God  bless  you,  and 
believe  me, 

Dear  aunt,  your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

Jan.  10,  1840. 

MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

***** 

Perhaps  you  may  have  heard  that  in  the  early  part 
of  its  [the  forty-foot  telescope's]  existence,  "  God  save  the 
King  "  was  sung  in  it  by  the  whole  company,  who  got  up 
from  dinner  and  went  into  the  tube,  among  the  rest  two 
Misses  Stows,  the  one  a  famous  pianoforte  player,  some  of 
the  Griesbachs,  who  accompanied  on  the  oboe,  or  any 
instrument  they  could  get  hold  of,  and  I,  you  will  easily 
imagine,  was  one  of  the  nimblest  and  foremost  to  get 
in  and  out  of  the  tube.  But  now  ! — lack-a-day  ! — I  can 
hardly  cross  the  room  without  help.  But  what  of  that? 
Dorcas,  in  the  Beggar's  Opera,  says,  "  One  cannot  eat  one's 
cake  and  have  it  too  !".... 


CHAP,  vii.]     Anecdote  of  the  Old  Telescope.  309 

I  will  only  thank  you  once  more  for  your  charming  letter, 
and  beg  to  be  kindly  remembered  to  all  who  are  dear  to  you, 
and  to  give  an  embrace  extraordinary  to  the  dear  little  ones 
around  you,  and  not  forgetting  to  include  my  dear  nephew 
in  the  general  hug !  and  believe  me, 
My  dearest  niece,] 

Yours  and  his  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

P.S.— -  One  anecdote  of  the  old  tube  (if  you  have  not 
heard  it)  I  must  give  you.  Before  the  optical  parts  were 
finished,  many  visitors  had  the  curiosity  to  walk  through  it, 
among  the  rest  King  George  III.,  and  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  following  the  King,  and  finding  it  difficult  to  pro- 
ceed, the  King  turned  to  give  him  the  hand,  saying,  "  Come, 
my  Lord  Bishop,  I  will  show  you  the  way  to  Heaven  ! " 

This  was  in  the  year  1787,  August  17th,  when  the  King 
and  Queen,  the  Duke  of  York  and  some  of  the  Princesses 
were  of  the  company. 

I  hope  the  book  where  the  visitors  were  noted,  has  been 
preserved  ?  Some  time  after  it  was  kept  by  other  hands ; 
but  before  I  parted  with  it,  I  copied  some  pages  which  put 
me  sometimes  in  mind  of  persons  who  were  interesting  to 
me. 

These  scribblings  will  come  to  you  among  the  rest  of 
my  scraps.  Good-bye  ! 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Jan.  10,  1840. 
MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

***** 

....  For  the  last  month  past  I  have  been  so  much 
disturbed  and  fatigued  by  visitors  who  came  to  wish  me  a 
happy  New-year,  &c.,  for  I  have  of  late  gained  the 


310  Caroline  Lucretia  HerscheL  [1840. 

acquaintance  of  half  a  dozen  ladies,  added  to  two  who  were 
in  the  habit  of  visiting  me  between  the  hours  of  twelve  at 
noon  and  six  or  seven  in  the  evening ;  [for  the  first  two  or 
three  hours,  after  having  passed  a  sleepless  night,  I  am 
obliged  to  spend  in  the  manner  as  perhaps  you  may  have 
seen  Lord  Ogleby  did  in  The  Clandestine  Marriage]. 

But  now,  from  seven  to  eight  till  between  eleven  and 
twelve,  I  am  left  to  amuse  myself  as  well  as  I  may,  but  it  is 
no  easy  task  to  turn  books  into  companions  by  one  who  has 
no  eyes  left ;  but  there  is  no  help  for  it.  There  is  neither 
man,  woman,  nor  child  in  Hanover  to  be  found  but  they 
must  spend  the  evening  at  balls,  plays,  routs,  clubs,  &c., 
and  not  a  month  goes  over  one's  head  without  a  jubilee 
being  celebrated  at  enormous  expense  to  someone  who  has 
fifty  years  enjoyed  title  and  salaries  for  doing  his  duty  (any- 
how, perhaps). 

But  what  a  contrast  between  a  jubilee  auf  der  Borse*  at 
Hanover  and  the  one  at  Slough,  t  described  in  your  letter 
with  which  I  was  made  happy  January  4th.  The  company 
so  select — for  I  figure  to  myself  none  but  angels  from  above 
were  listening  to,  and  joining  their  kindred  in  the  chorus 
below  !  .  .  .  .  Before  I  take  leave  of  this  jubilee  I  must 
beg  the  excellent  poet  of  the  song  to  accept  my  hearty 
thanks  for  remembering  me  so  kindly  in  verse  4,  and  for  not 
letting  the  poor  forty-foot  telescope!  depart  in  silence. 


*  On  the  Exchange. 

•f  The  whole  family  party  assembled  at  Christmas  in  the  tube  of  the  great 
telescope,  and  sang  a  ballad  composed  for  the  occasion. 

J  "  The  telescope,  as  you  know,  is  laid  on  three  stone  piers  horizontally. 
It  will  be  fresh  painted  to-morrow,  and  afterwards  every  three  or  Tour  years, 
as  it  wants  it,  and  it  looks  very  well.  The  observatory  will  remain  nearly  as 
it  is.  The  apparatus  of  the  telescope  is  inside  of  the  tube,  and  will  be  riveted 
up  from  all  intruders.  And  all  the  polishing  apparatus  is  fixed  on  the  spot." 
— Letter  of  Sir  John  Herschel,  Feb.  28,  1840. 

The  great  mirror  is  now  put  up  in  the  hall  of  the  house — "  Herschels  " — at 


CHAP,  vii.]  Misfortunes  of  Friends.  311 

MISS  HEESCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

AprilS,  1840. 

MY  DEAEEST  NIECE  ! — 

Your  delightful  letter  of  March  8th,  which  I  received 
about  a  week  after  that  of  my  dear  nephew,  could  never 
have  come  at  a  more  needful  time  for  chasing  away  the 
melancholy  impressions  my  friends'  losses  and  misfortunes 
have  had  on  my  spirits.  On  the  7th  of  March  Dr.  Muhry 
came  to  wish  me  joy  on  my  nephew's  birthday.  Nine  days 
after,  when  they  all  used  to  come  and  bring  me  flowers, 
&c.,  the  whole  family  were  thrown  into  despair  by  the  death 
of  Dr.  C.  M.,  who  died  by  his  own  hands  (thirty-four 
years  old).  About  a  week  before  I  had  spent  an  evening 
with  him  at  his  grandmother's,  when  he  begged  me  to  thank 
my  nephew  once  more  for  giving  him  a  letter  of  introduction 

to  Dr.   ,   at  Oxford.     This  poor  man  was  spoiled  by 

being  made  too  much  of  from  his  infancy.  As  a  boy  of 
seven  or  eight,  he  was  brought  to  England  to  visit  his 
grandmother  and  aunt,  and  was  loaded  with  costly  presents 
by  the  Princesses,  and  fed  with  nothing  but  dainties,  till, 
when  grown  up,  nothing  but  what  was  most  extravagant 

would  satisfy  him.     The  30th  of  March  our  friend  P 

was  buried,  eighty-three  years  old.  On  my  birthday  a  cir- 
cular letter  came  by  post,  announcing  Dr.  Olbers's  death. 
So,  I  must  say  once  more,  my  nephew's  and  your  dear  letter 
came  very  seasonably  to  turn  my  thoughts  to  something 
more  cheering 

Now  I  am  in  two  minds  whether  I  shall  turn  to  my  dear 
niece  or  have  done  with  you  first.  But  out  with  it !  I  would, 
if  you  have  no  objection,  draw  on  Mr.  Drummond  for  <£52, 

Slougli,  by  the  present  tenant,  Mr.  Montressor,  who  has  spared  no  pains 
to  do  honour  to  the  relics  as  well  as  to  keep  up  the  character  of  the  old 
fashioned  "habitation,"  which  owes  much  to  the  taste  and  judgment  he  haa 
bestowed  on  it. 


312  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1840. 


and  if  I  should  (as  it  seems)  live  to  the  age  of  Methusalem, 
come  again  for  the  same  sum  after  the  10th  of  October 
next.  For  this  is  quite  enough  for  me  to  live  with  credit, 
and  more  would  only  be  a  trouble  to  me. 

I  am  tired,  and  can  write  no  more  just  now,  but  for  our 
amusement  I  will,  some  time  or  other,  give  you  the  history 
of  the  few  days  you  were  in  Hanover,  in  July,  1838.  For 
all  that  past  wras  like  Sheridan's  Chapter  of  Accidents.  If  I 
could  only  have  had  a  few  hours'  of  private  conversation  with 
you  then,  much  trouble  would  since  have  been  spared  me. 

I  hope  to  have  soon  some  account  of  how  your  new  situa- 
tion agrees  both  with  papa,  mamma,  and  the  little  bodies. 
How  many  English  miles  is  it  from  London  ? 

....  My  sweeper,  which  I  should  have  been  so  happy 
to  put  in  the  hands  of  my  little  grand-nephew,  and  teach  him 
to  catch  comets  till  he  could  do  something  better  (0  !  why 
did  I  leave  England !)  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  good, 
honest  creature,  Director  Hausmann,  and  the  seven-foot  tele- 
scope is  also  saved  from  being  sold  for  an  old  song.  .  .  . 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL,  BART. 

July  6,  1840. 

***** 

But  at  another  time,  when  perhaps  I  may  find  myself  a 
little  better,  I  will  amuse  my  dear  niece  with  introducing 
some  of  my  acquaintances  to  her  notice.  Some  of  the 
family  of  General  Halkett,*  at  least,  she  will  not  be  dis- 
pleased at  knowing  personally.  Last  night  the  sister  of 
the  general,  Mrs.  W.  Clarke,  t  a  widow,  sat  an  hour  with 

*  General  Baron  Hugh  Halkett,  a  distinguished  officer  of  the  German 
Legion,  died  1863. 

t  Miss  Herschel  gave  special  directions  that,  after  her  death,  her  snuff-box 
should  be  given  to  this  lady. 


CHAP,  vii.]'          Her  Seven-foot  Telescope.  313 

me,  and  said  she  would  next  summer  visit  her  late  husband's 
relations  in  England,  and  then  she  would  not  fail  of  seeing 
you.  You  must  love  her  for  my  sake,  for  she  really  takes 
some  pains  to  give  me  pleasure,  bringing  me  flowers,  taking 
me  an  airing  in  her  fine  English  equipage,  &c.  I  must  not 
forget  the  general's  lady,  a  second  wife,  of  course  a  step- 
mother of  my  young  friend.  She  is  Scotch  (a  Graham), 
and  brought  me  little  Christmas  pies  in  her  reticule  on 
New-year's  Day,  of  the  young  lady's  making — the  only  good 
kind  I  have  tasted  in  Hanover,  and  they  were  as  good  as  my 
nephew's  mamma  ever  made. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

August  3,  1840. 

MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

....  But  first  and  foremost,  I  must  beg  you  will 
give  my  best  thanks  to  my  dear  niece  Caroline  for  her  very 
sensible  and  very  clever  letter,  and  I  only  wish  I  may  be 
often  favoured  by  her  fair  hands  with  such  favourable 
accounts  of  all  your  health  and  contentment  with  your  new 
situation. 

I  am  not  able  to  write  long  letters,  and  must  content  my- 
self with  saying,  in  as  few  words  as  possible,  that  if  my  nephew 
thought  the  seven-foot  telescope  worth  the  acceptance  of  the 
Royal  Astronomical  Society,  it  is  well !  .  .  .  .  (Mem. — Its 
only  being  painted  deal  was,  because  it  should  look  like  the 
one  with  which  the  Georgium  Sidus  was  discovered.) 

I  have  also  the  proceedings  of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy 
to  thank  you  for,  twenty  pages.  I  suppose  I  have  nothing 
to  do  but  to  accept  them.  But  I  think  almost  it  is  mocking 
me  to  look  upon  me  as  a  Member  of  an  Academy ;  I  that 
have  lived  these  eighteen  years  (against  my  will  and  inten- 
tion) without  finding  as  much  as  a  single  comet.  But  no 
more  of  these  terrible  eighteen  years  just  now 


314  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1840. 

My  dear  nephew,  if  I  did  not  feel  myself  seriously  de- 
clining very  fast,  I  would  not  incommode  you  at  present 
(when  your  time  must  be  so  precious)  with  such  letters  as 
my  two  or  three  last  have  been. 

But  going  many  nights  to  bed  without  the  hope  of  seeing 
another  da}r,  I  think  it  my  duty  to  guard  you  against  put- 
ting any  trust  or  confidence  in .  He  and  the  whole 

family  have  never  been  of  the  least  use  to  me  ;  and  for  all 
the  good  I  have  lavished  on  them,  they  never  came  to  look 
after  me,  but  when  they  had  some  design  upon  me. 

In  short,  I  find  that  all  along  I  have  been  taken  for  an 
idiot,  or  that  at  least  I  am  now  reckoned  to  be  in  my 
dotage,  and  therefore  ought  not  to  be  mistress  of  my  own 
actions.  But,  thank  God,  I  have  yet  sense  enough  left  to 
caution  you  against  being  imposed  upon  by  a  stupid  being 
who  would  make  you  believe  I  died  under  obligations  to  any 
of  the  family.  I  know  he  has  already,  without  asking  my 
leave,  passed  himself  off  for  my  guardian,  and  is  vexed  at  my 
being  able  to  do  without  him.  But  I  could  not  live  without 
that  little  business  of  keeping  my  accounts ;  and  by  my  last 
book  of  expenses  and  receipts  may  be  seen,  that  I  owe 
nothing  to  anybody,  but  to  my  dear  nephew  many  many 
thanks  for  fulfilling  his  father's  wishes,  by  paying  for  so 
many  years  the  ample  annuity  he  left  me. 

SIR  J.    F.  W.  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

August  10,  1840. 

....  The  telescopes  are  now,  I  trust,  properly 
disposed  of.  Mr.  Hausmann  (who  will  value  it)  has  the 
sweeper.  The  five-foot  Newtonian  reflector  is  in  the  hands 
of  the  Royal  Astronomical  Society,  and  will  be  preserved 
by  it  as  the  little  telescope  of  Newton  is  by  the  Royal 
Society,  long  after  I  and  all  the  little  ones  are  dead  and 
gone. 


CHAP,  vii.]  Christmas  in  Hanover \  315 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

Dec.  27,  1840. 

....  There  is  another  circumstance  on  which 
account  I  feel  not  very  easy,  which  is  that  by  leaving  Slough 
you  are  separated  from  all  your  usual  friends,  &c.,  doctors 
and  all ;  but  pray  keep  up  your  spirits,  for  the  clays  are 
already  a  cock's  stride  longer,  and  my  windows  have  now 
been  covered  with  ice  for  the  last  three  weeks,  which  is  long 
enough  in  conscience;  therefore  I  hope  to  see  a  change 
every  morning  when  I  can  get  my  eyes  open,  which  is  never 
the  case  till  near  eleven  o'clock. 

There  have  been  some  English  gentlemen  with  Mrs. 
Beckedorff  on  business,  who,  in  conversation,  among  the 
rest,  were  saying  that  the  keeping  Christmas  in  the  Ger- 
man fashion  was  coming  to  be  very  general  in  England ; 
but  I  hope  they  will  never  go  such  lengths  in  foolery  as 
they  do  here.  The  tradespeople  have  been  for  many 
weeks  in  full  employ  framing  and  mounting  the  em- 
broideries of  the  ladies  and  girls  of  all  classes,  for  there 
exists  not  a  folly  or  extravagancy  among  the  great  but  it  is 
imitated  by  the  little.  The  shops  are  beautifully  lit  up  by 
gas,  and  the  last  three  da}rs  before  Christmas  all  that 
could  be  tempting  was  exhibited  in  the  market  places  in 
booths  lighted  up  in  the  evening,  where  all  run  to  gaze 
and  get  a  liking  to  all  they  see.  Cooks  and  housemaids 
present  one  another  with  knitted  bags  and  purses,  the 
cobbler's  daughter  embroidered  neck-cushions  for  her  friend 
the  butcher's  daughter,  which  are  made  up  by  the  uphol- 
sterer at  great  expense,  lined  with  white  satin,  the  upper 
part,  on  which  the  back  is  to  rest,  is  worked  with  gold, 
silver,  and  pearls. 

But  I  find  too  much  difficulty  to  write  in  these  short 
days,  else  I  could  write  a  book  about  the  nonsense  which 


316  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel. 

is  going  on  in  this  city.  I  have  for  this  last  month  heen 
completely  tired  out  with  this  Christmas  bustle ;  but  now 
the  balls  at  the  Bourse,  given  by  the  shopmen  to  the 
daughters  of  their  masters,  will  be  succeeded  by  the 
masquerades  in  Lent,  an  amusement  which  in  the  good  old 
times  was  only  for  the  nobility,  but  from  which  they  are 
now  excluded 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  JOHN  HERSCHEL. 

Sept.  1,  1840. 

....  I  owe  you  many  thanks  for  relieving  me  two 
whole  days  sooner  from  the  anxiety  of  having  been  mis- 
understood by  you,  and  now  I  am  happy,  and  all  is  well  I 
But  there  are  times  when  I  should  like  to  have  some  talk 
with  you  or  my  dear  niece,  to  put  you  in  mind  of  many  past 
events,  but  if  you  will  excuse  the  style  and  the  spelling,  &c., 
&c.,  on  account  of  my  eyesight  being  so  uncertain,  I  will  at 
times  try  to  amuse  you  with  what  passed  in  old  times,  for 
my  memory  is  as  good  as  ever  [this  is  in  her  ninety-first 
year].  (N.B. — Year  of  the  past.)  Writing  this,  puts  me  in 
inind  that  I  never  could  remember  the  multiplication  table, 
but  was  obliged  to  carry  always  a  copy  of  it  about  me. 

SIR  J.  F.  W.   HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

August  10,  1840. 

....  Did  I  ever  tell  you  that  I  had  lately  brought 
together  the  observations  of  four  or  five  years,  proving 
beyond  all  doubt  a  Orionis  to  be  both  a  variable  and  a 
periodical  star,  and  one  of  the  most  remarkable  among 
them  ?  Its  period  is  about  a  year,  and  it  changes  in  that 
time  from  a  lustre  superior  on  some  occasions  even  to 
Eigel,  to  a'  degree  of  brightness  nearly  on  a  par  with 
Aldebaran. 


CHAP,  viz.]  Concerning  her  Brother.  317 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.   F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

Feb.  24,  1841. 
***** 

I  intended  to  have  made  some  remarks  to  you  about 
several  things  which  are  said  in  those  pages  which  came 
enclosed  in  the  letter  of  February  3rd.  I  suppose  it  is  not 
expected  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  thereof,  but  if  there 
is  anybody  to  whom  my  thanks  are  due,  I  beg  you  will  do 
it  for  me,  because  I  am  not  capable  of  writing  to  strangers. 
But  to  you  I  cannot  help  pointing  out  several  things  which 
displease  me  very  much 

I  think  whoever  reads  the  Preface  to  the  description  of 
the  forty-foot  telescope  (see  "  Philosophical  Transactions," 
June  11,  1795),  would  not  accuse  him  of  jealousy — 
which  also  may  be  seen  by  the  four  volumes  on  the  con- 
struction of  Specula,  which  your  father  left  behind  in  MSS., 
(to  which  you  added  those  excellent  drawings  of  the  ma- 
chinery, &c.),  which  it  was  my  care,  for  half  a  dozen  years 
at  least,  to  save  them  from  being  devoured  by  the  mice,  by 
placing  them  on  a  table  in  the  middle  of  the  library,  where 
I  was  obliged  to  leave  them  when  I  left  Slough,  for  I  could 
not  find  a  better  place  for  them. 

Your  father  was  latterly  most  miserably  stinted  for  room, 
and  I  fear  many,  many  things  have  met  with  destruction  in 
consequence  of  being  put  by  in  corners  among  rubbish 
when  not  in  use.  For  instance,  when  polishing  and  the  foci 
were  to  be  tried,  by  three  apertures  [tubes],  which  generally 
wanted  to  be  repaired  first ;  (for  the  twenty-foot  they  were 
made  of  pasteboard,  but  for  the  forty-foot  of  light  deal) 
and  I  was  directed  to  hold  them  before  the  mirror,  and, 
listening  to  the  report  of  the  trial,  was  glad  to  hear  "  All 
right,  three  foci  perfectly  alike !  "  and  the  work  proceeded 
to  perfect  the  polish.  Dear  nephew,  I  stick  fast,  and  must 


318  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1841. 

give  over  talking  about  these  things ;  it  downright  fatigues 
me.  But  these  folks  would  not  have  called  the  Herschelian 
construction  useless  if  they  had  seen  the  struggle,  during 
the  years  from  1781  to  '86,  to  get  a  sight  of  the  Satel- 
lites of  the  Georgium  Sidus,  when,  after  throwing  aside  the 

speculum,  they  stood  broad  before  us Pray,  does 

South  live  still  ? 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.  F.  W.   HERSCHEL. 

March  31,  1841. 

***** 

Not  to  send  blank  paper,  I  will  fill  it  by  copying 
from  my  Day-book  the  names  of  the  visitors  I  had  to  receive 
on  the  16th  of  March.  This  I  can  do  mechanically  and  by 
feeling,  and  it  serves  to  pass  away  the  time,  as  I  cannot 
see  to  read  for  any  length  of  time. 

By  way  of  being  ready  to  see  an}rbody  by  twelve  o'clock, 
I  rose  an  hour  earlier  than  usual,  but  before  I  was  dressed, 
Mrs.  Beckedorff  and  Mrs.  W.  Clarke  sent  each  a  beautiful 
moss-rose  and  card.  Soon1  after,  Mrs.  Clarke  and  General 
Halkett  came ;  Generalin  Borse  and  daughter  brought 
violets ;  Frau  von  Both ;  Ober  Medicinal-Rath  Miihry ; 
Miss  Beckedorff;  Madam  Groskopff ;  Hofrathin  Ubelode 
brought  mignonette ;  Oberjustiz-Eath  von  Werloff  sent 
crocuses  ;  Fraulein  von  Werloff  sent  a  card  and  hyacinths  ; 
Dr.  Groskopff,  Hauptman  Buse,  Alexis  Eichter,  Major 
Miiller  ; — all  these  I  saw  between  twelve  and  four  o'clock, 
and  several  for  a  good  while  together.  I  talked  and  com- 
plimented myself  into  a  fever,  of  course  "looked  blooming," 
and  am  to  live  to  be  a  hundred  years  old.  What  stuff ! 
After  eating  my  solitary  dinner  I  tried  to  get  a  little  sleep, 
as  I  generally  do,  but  before  I  could  compose  myself 
enough,  two  of  Major  Miiller' 3  sisters  came  and  remained  two 
hours  with  me ;  after  they  left  me,  Fraulein  von  Werloff 


CHAP,  vii.]         Her  Ninety-first  Birthday.  319 

sent  her  companion,  a  Mademoiselle  H.,  and  a  sister,  to 
keep  me  company  till  ten  o'clock.  With  difficulty,  and  the 
help  of  Betty,  I  got  into  bed,  but  could  get  no  sleep,  nor 
the  whole  day  after. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HEKSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  July  31,  1841. 
MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

If  it  was  not  that  I  ought  to  thank  you  for  your  kind 
letter  of  June  9th,  I  should  perhaps  not  have  now  the  spirit 
to  take  up  the  pen ;  but  your  letters  alwa3rs,  especially  the 
last,  contain,  besides  the  many  consoling  expressions,  such 
very  interesting  information,  that  I  would  not  for  the  world 
risk  to  lose  the  monthly  sight  of  your  dear  handwriting,  by 
omitting  to  return  at  least  my  grateful  thanks  for  your  kind 
communications  of  what  the  present  philosophers  are  about. 

I  think  I  can  form  some  idea  of  the  author  of  the  book 
on  philosophy  (and  godfather  of  our  little  Amelia),  from 
what  I  recollect  to  have  read  some  years  past  in  some 
quarterly  publication  by  a  Mr.  Newell,  in  defence  of  Sir 
Isaac  Newton.  In  short,  it  met  with  my  approbation ! 
There  is  for  you  !  What  do  you  sajT  to  that  ? 

I  do  not  wish  to  write  in  what  my  dear  brother  William 
used  to  call  a  Dick  Doleful  style,  when  our  brother  Alex- 
ander was  in  the  dismals,  and  out  of  which  we  often  suc- 
ceeded in  laughing  him.  But  I  cannot  just  now  turn  to 
anything  of  a  cheering  nature,  for  yesterday,  the  30th,  our 
Queen  died,  and  I  have  been  very  unwell  in  consequence  of 
the  violent  change  in  the  weather 

The  following  letter  refers  to  the  intended  removal 
of  Sir  J.  Herschel  and  his  family  to  Collingwood, 
which  he  had  purchased  : — 


320  Caroline  L^lcret^a  Herschel.         [1841-1842. 

MISS  HEESCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  August  2,  1841. 

MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

....  I  could  wish  to  know  something  more  ahout 
the  place  where  you  now  are.*  How  many  miles  is  Colling- 
wood  from  London?  How  many  from  Hastings?  Have 
you  any  good  people  or  neighbours  about  you  ?  I  think  I 
read  in  Watson's  Gazetteer,  Hawkhurst  to  be  full  of  poor, 
and,  what  is  worse,  of  smugglers.  Pray  take  care  of  the 
dear  boys  and  children,  that  they  are  not  kidnapped  in  their 
little  rambles  from  home. 

I  can  for  the  present  only  say  so  much  of  myself  that  my 
friends  are  almost  going  to  kill  me  with  their  visits,  like,  as 
they  say,  the  cat  did  her  kitten  with  kindness.  On  Sunday 
I  was  even  honoured  with  a  visit  from  the  Duchess  of 
Anhalt  Dessau  and  the  Princess  of  Eudolstadt — the  latter  a 
little  astronomer — who  remained  a  whole  hour  with  me. 
They  are  both  daughters  of  the  late  Queen. 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  Feb.  3,  1842. 

....  Your  mentioning  the  Government  gift  of  the  Kew 
Observatorj'  to  the  Royal  Society,  recalls  to  my  mind  the 
struggles  through  a  life  of  privations  during  the  lapse  of 
between  twenty  and  thirty  years,  till  my  brother  had  re- 
alised a  capital  sufficient  for  living  in  a  respectable  manner 
by  making  seven,  ten,  twenty,  and  twenty-five-foot  tele- 
scopes. For  it  was  in  1782  when  Mr.  De  Mainborg,  the 
King's  private  astronomer  (formerly  one  of  his  tutors)  at 
Kew,  died,  and  my  brother,  in  consequence  of  the  discovery 

*  The  family  of  Sir  J.  Herschel  had  left  Slough  and  settled  at  Collingwood, 
near  Hawkhurst,  Kent,  now  the  family  residence. 


CHAP,  vii.]  Concerning  her  Brother,  321 

of  the  G.  Sidus,  was  called  from  liis  lucrative  employment 
at  Bath.  His  friends  had  no  other  idea  but  that  he  was  to 
succeed  Mr.  De  Mainborg  at  Kew.  But  it  was  otherwise 
decreed,  for  the  King  was  surrounded  by  some  wiseacres  who 
knew  how  to  bargain,  and  even  £100  were  offered  if  he 
would  go  to  Hanover  ! 

But  you  know  \>y  what  I  once  wrote  on  a  former  occasion 
that  he  settled  at  Datchet  with  £200  per  annum,  after  four 
months'  travelling  between  London,  Greenwich,  and  "Wind- 
sor, and  moving  his  workshop  and  instruments  from  a  house 
at  Bath,  of  which  he  had  a  lease.  And  at  Michaelmas, 
1782,  was  the  first  £50  he  ever  saw  of  the  King's  money. 
This  happened  at  the  time  when  Parliament  had  granted  to 
the  King  £80,000  a-year  for  encouraging  sciences.  This  I 
only  knew  by  what  I  heard  at  that  time,  and  that  Mr.  West, 
E.A.,  with  his  giant  Judas,  Jervis,  who  made  the  altar-piece 
for  St.  George's  chapel  (which  I  once  heard  Mrs.  Beckedorff 
say  had  cost  the  King  £30,000),  and  Herschel,  were  the  first 
who  benefited  by  this  grant. 

I  am  full  of  expectation  of  W.'s  promised  description  of 
the  Christmas  entertainment ;  but  put  him  in  mind  that  I 
do  not  understand  Latin.  Of  A's  Greek,  I  think  I  can  be  a 
judge,  knowing  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  in  consequence  of 

their  being  used  in  the  astronomical  catalogues I 

hope  music  is  still  in  favour  with  the  family  ;  often  I  lament 
that  at  the  time  of  our  quitting  Bath  in  such  a  hurry  my 
brother's  musical  treasures  were  scattered,  and  given  to  the 
winds.  Among  the  rest  there  was  a  song  for  four  voices, 
"  In  thee  I  bear  so  dear  a  part,"  which  was  just  going  to  be 
published  by  desire,  for  it  was  sung  by  the  first  performers 
from  the  London  theatres,  and  encored,  between  the  acts  of 
the  oratorios.  I  wrote  it  out  ready  in  parts  during  my 
brother's  absence  ;  but  he  could  not  find  a  moment  to  send 
it  off,  nor  to  answer  the  printer's  letters. 

Y 


322  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1842. 

Oh  !  how  I  should  like  to  hear  some  of  the  glees  and 
catches  sung  by  the  great  and  little  family  in  the  music-room 
at  Collingwood  ;  but  it  was  not  to  be  !  and  I  had  rather  leave 
off  and  leave  some  room  for  the  many  good  wishes  to  your- 
self, my  dear  nephew,  and  all  those  who  are  dear  to  you, 
and  believe  me, 

My  dear  niece, 

Ever  your  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO   LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  March  3,  1842. 
MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

....     Nothing  runs  in  my  head  but  what  concerns 
my  family  and  connections,  and  I  am  at  present  living  over 

again  the  last  eighty-nine  years  of  my  existence 

But  I  will  leave  off  teazing  you  with  these  old  stories  with 
which  I  am  obliged  to  amuse  myself,  for  I  cannot  see  to 
work  or  read,  and  must  therefore  either  sleep  or  scribble, 
for  my  visitors  come  mostly  in  the  forenoon,  their  evenings 
being  taken  up  with  public  amusements  or  private  parties, 
of  which  I  have  not  been  able  to  be  a  partaker  these  three 
years,  for  I  see  by  my  account-books  it  is  so  many  since  I 
left  off  subscribing  to  the  play.  But  to  please  Mrs.  Clarke 
I  made  the  experiment  on  the  3rd  of  February,  whether  I 
should  come  home  alive  after  seeing  King  Charles  II.  in 
Wapping,  acted  at  the  English  Ambassador's.  Mrs.  Clarke 
came  about  twelve  with  an  invitation  from  the  Honourable 
Mrs.  Edgecombe — their  house  not  containing  a  room  large 
enough  for  giving  great  balls,  they  contrived  this  way  of 
entertaining  the  company.  The  enclosed  playbill  will  show 
the  rest. 

There  was  no  time  for  consulting  milliners,   and  Mrs. 


VII.]  Goes  to  a  Play.  323 

•Clarke  assisted  me  in  looking  out  something  from  what  I  had 
worn  some  years  back,  cap  and  all.  (N.B. — The  latter  of  my 
own  making.)  I  must  give  you  here  a  German  saying,  if 
you  do  not  know  it,  which  is,  "  Einen  jeden  Narren  gefallt 
seine  eigene  Cappe!"*  but  I  cannot  say  that  I  was  much 
pleased  with  mine,  I  have  so  very  few  grey  hairs  left,  which, 
however,  I  was  told  were  much  admired ! 

Mrs.  C.  left  me  with  a  promise  of  sending  her  chair  and 
servant  at  three-quarters  past  seven,  and  was  waiting  in  an 
ante-room  for  me  to  assist  me  in  getting  further,  and, 
indeed,  the  whole  evening  she  did  not  withdraw  her  arm 
from  me  till  she  had  put  me  in  my  chair  again,  and  the  next 
morning  she  was  with  me  almost  before  I  was  out  of  bed. 
TheKing,  Princess  of  Riidolstadt,  and  one  of  the  Princes  of 
Solms  were  among  the  company,  and  I  did  not  come  home 
without  receiving  their  notice.  But  I  shall  not  venture  on 

such  pranks  again,  I  promise  you ! 

*  -*  *  *  * 

As  I  am  writing  this  I  see  it  will  be  my  birthday,  when  I 
shall  be  ninety -two  years,  if  I  live.  My  nephew's  is  the 
7th,  and  he  will  be  fifty,  but  for  all  that  do  not  think  him 
to  be  an  old  man.  His  father  was  fifty-four  when  he  first 
saw  the  light 

The  King  of  Prussia  left  magnificent  presents  among  the 
courtiers,  and  Generalin  Halkett  was  here  on  Sunday,  and 
promised  to  bring  me  a  snuff-box  to  look  at,  which  the  general 
has  received.  I  begged  she  would  not,  for  the  ladies  wear 
110  pockets,  and  lose  their  purses,  &c.,  as  I  daily  hear  by  the 
town  crier.  Their  pocketkerchiefs  they  carry  open  in  their 
hands,  which  I  think  very  indelicate;  I  daresay  it  is  not 
the  fashion  in  England 

....     I  would  not  wish  on  any  account  to  see  either  my 

*  Every  fool  is  pleased  with  his  own  cap. 

Y  2 


324  Caroline  Liicretia  Herschel.  [1342. 

nephew  or  3-011,  my  dear  niece,  again  in  tliis  world,  for  I 
could  not  bear  the  pain  of  parting  once  more ;  but  I  trust  I 
shall  find  and  know  jrou  in  the  next.  And  as  long  as  I 
can  hold  a  pen,  let  us,  I  beg,  commune  with  one  another  by 
letter ! 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  June  2,  1842. 
MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

A  thousand  thanks  for  your  kind  letter,  which  con- 
tains ever  so  much  comfortable  and  satisfactory  information, 
such  as  heart  can  but  wish.  .  .  >  . 

I  have  begun  a  piece  of  work  which  I  despair  of  finishing 
before  my  eyesight  and  life  will  leave  me  in  the  lurch.  You 
will  perhaps  wonder  what  such  a  thing  as  I  may  pretend  to 
do  [can  be],  but  I  cannot  help  it,  and  shall  not  rest  till  I 
have  wrote  the  History  of  the  Herschels.  I  began,  of 
course,  with  my  father  and  his  parents.  My  father  was 
born  in  January,  1707,  and  I  have  now  only  got  so  far  as 
the  beginning  of  1758,  and  it  begins  to  interest  me  much, 
but  I  doubt  whether  I  shall  live  to  finish  it,  but  think  it  a 
pity  it  should  be  thrown  away.*  .... 

....  Do  not  forget  to  thank  my  little  nephew  for  his 
pretty  letter.  His  description  of  the  method  his  papa 
makes  use  of  in  teaching  mathematical  figures,  I  prefer  to 
that  of  his  grandfather.  He  used,  when  making  me,  a 

*  In  answer  to  this  annoimcement  her  niece  wrote  :  "  Herschel  bids  me  say 
he  is  quite  delighted  at  the  idea  of  your  undertaking  the  family  history,  but 
he  insists  upon  it  that  you  prove  his  descent  from  Hercules,  and  I  dare  say  in 
this  age  of  relics,  we  could  contrive  to  find  in  the  rummaging  of  old  traps 
turned  out  at  Slough,  a  veritable  piece  of  the  old  dub  which  has  by  fortunate- 
accident  served  as  part  of  the  ladders  of  the  forty-foot  telescope  !  or  perhaps 
you  remember  its  slipping  down  the  mouth  of  the  great  telescope  one  night 
when  it  was  turned  in  the  direction  of  your  ancestor's  constellation,  as  a  sign 
that  he  confessed  himself  outshone  by  your  labours." 


CHAI-.  vii.]  Regrets.  325 

grown  woman,  acquainted  with  them,  to  make  me  sometimes 
fall  short  at  dinner  if  I  did  not  guess  the  angle  right  of  the 
piece  of  pudding  I  was  helping  myself  to ! 


MISS   HERSCHEL  TO   LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVEU,  July  7,  1842. 
MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

I  have  just  now  been  reading  your  dear  letter  of  June 
7th  once  again,  but  I  shall  take  care  not  to  look  into  it  for 
jet  a  while,  else  I  run  the  risk  of  going  mad  when  thinking 
of  my  running  away  from  a  country  where  I  might  have 
been  an  eye-witness,  and  sometimes  a  partaker,  of  so  much 
domestic  happiness.  But  it  is  no  matter  now,  and  of  no 
use  fretting  about  it ;  I  am  only  sorry  I  cannot  go  on  with 
my  history  as  fast  as  I  could  wish,  for  I  feel  too  unwell  to 
be  doing  any  thing  for  any  length  of  time 

....  I  am  glad  my  dear  nephew  finds  pleasure  in 
giving  up  so  much  of  his  valuable  time  to  his  dear  sons ; 
for  my  hair  stands  at  an  end  on  hearing  what  beings  are 
continually  expelled  from  our  Eton  here,  all  owing  to 
ignorant  ambitious  parents  trusting  entirely  to  unprincipled 
hirelings. 

Though  my  poor  brother  seemed  to  have  no  hands  in  the 
education  of  his  only  son,  I  know,  from  having  been  present 
at  many  private  conversations  he  had  with  Dr.  Gretton,  that 
nothing  was  done  without  his  approbation  and  advice. 

....  The  "Astronom.  Nachrichten "  have  latterly 
been  filled  with  tables  and  too  much  mathematic  (for  me). 
The  last  numbers,  450,  451,  contain  an  account,  by  Struve, 
of  the  purchase  of  Gibers'  books,  &c.,  for  the  library  of  the 
Gbservatory  at  Pultowa.  This  puts  one  in  mind  of  Gibers 
saying  somewhere,  I  had  discovered  five  comets.  Who 
wanted  him  to  give  the  number  of  my  comets  when  he 


326  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1S42. 

kneAv  them  no  better  ?  As  far  as  I  recollect,  Dr.  Maskelyne- 
has  observed  them  all,  and  his  observations  on  them  are,  I 
daresay,  all  printed  in  the  volumes  of  the  Greenwich  Obser- 
vations— at  least  of  some  he  has  shown  me  the  proof  sheets. 
I  never  called  a  comet  mine  till  several  post  days  were 
passed  without  any  account  of  them  coming  to  hand.  And 
after  all,  it  is  only  like  the  children's  game,  "  AVer  am  ersten 
kick  ruft,  soil  den  Apfel  haben  !  "Wo  sie  denn  alle  rufen. 
kick  !  kick  !  und  so,"*  &c.,  &c. 

I  long  for  the  return  of  the  messenger,  for  I  heard  to-day 
that  Bessel  and  Encke  were  gone  to  the  philosophical 
meeting  in  England,  and  I  expect  to  hear  a  great  deal  of 
news.  But  first  and  foremost  I  wish  to  see  in  your  next 
that  yourself  and  my  dear  nephew,  with  all  the  dear  little ,. 
little  ones,  continue  to  be  well  and  happy 

P.S. — My  head  is  full  of  my  History,  and  I  go  on  but 
slowly,  because  I  cannot  sit  up  for  any  length  of  time.  I 
am  only  at  my  fourteeth  year,  and  have  just  parted  from  my 
brother,  William  Herschel  I.,  who  is  returned  after  a  four- 
teen nights'  visit  to  us,  to  England,  Leeds  in  Yorkshire 
(where  he  must  be  left  for  some  time),  and  I  cannot  go  on 
till  I  have  recovered  from  the  parting  scene. 

You  remember,  you  take  the  work  in  whatever  state  I  may 
leave  it,  and  make  the  best  of  it  at  your  leisure.  Adieu. 

TO  SIR  J.  F.   W.  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVEI:,  August  4,  1842. 
MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

....  Major  Muller  is  not  yet  returned,  and  is  not 
expected  till  September,  from  his  measuring  business,  and 
besides  him  there  is  not  one  astronomer,  or,  I  may  say, 
rational  man  in  Hanover  to  whom  I  could  apply  for  infor- 

*  He  who  first  cries  "Kick  ! "  shall  have  the  apple. 


CHAP,  vii.]  A    Total  Eclipse.  327 

ination  in  matters  which  are  above  my  understanding.  But 
in  my  next  I  hope  to  say  more,  or  rather  a  great  deal  about 
your  "  Chrysotype,"  for  I  had  a  visit  to-day  from  a  Berg- 
Rath- W.,  who  seems  to  be  much  interested  in  these  dis- 
coveries  How  I  envy  you  having  seen  Bessel — the 

man  who  found  us  the  parallax  of  61  v  Cygni 

....  I  believe  I  have  water  on  my  brains,  and  all  my 
bones  ache  so  that  I  can  hardly  crawl ;  and  besides  sometimes 
a  whole  week  passes  without  anybody  coming  near  me,  till 
they  stumble  on  a  paragraph  in  the  newspaper  of  Griithou- 
sen's  discoveries,  or  Lord  Queenstown's  great  telescope, 
which  shall  beat  Sir  William  Herschel's  all  to  nothing,  and 
such  a  visit  sometimes  makes  me  merry  for  a  whole  day. 

SIR  J.   1<\   W.   HERSCHEL  TO  MISS   HERSCHEL. 

COLLINGWOOD,  Any.  9,  1842. 

MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

M.  tells  me  I  must  finish  this  letter  with  an  account 
of  the  total  eclipse  of  the  sun  seen  at  Pavia  by  Mr.  Baily, 
and  at  Turin  by  Mr.  Airy.  At  Pavia  it  was  very  finely  seen, 
and  as  soon  as  the  sun  was  totally  covered,  the  dark  moon 
was  seen  to  be  surrounded  with  a  glory,  like  the  heads  of 
saints  in  old  pictures.  While  he  was  admiring  this,  a  great 
shout  from  all  the  population  of  Pavia  broke  out  at  once, 
which  was  caused  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  three  purple 
or  lilac-coloured  flames,  which  seemed  to  break  out  from 
the  edge  of  the  moon.  At  Milan  the  same  was  seen,  and 
the  people  shouted  out  "  Es  lebeii  die  Astronomen !  "  *  as 
soon  as  they  saw  the  flames. 

I  am  glad  you  got  my  Chrysotype  pictures  safe.  The 
present  beautiful  sunshine  has  given  me  an  opportunity  to 
make  great  progress  in  photography,  and  the  enclosed  pho- 

*  The  astronomers  for  ever  ! 


328  Caroline  Lucrdia  Hcrschel.         [1842-1843. 

tograpliic  copy  of  a  little  engraving  or  two  may  serve  to 
amuse  you.  Meanwhile  the  star  reductions  are  not  for- 
gotten. Thirty  more  sweeps  only  remain  to  be  reduced, 
and  I  am  already  in  the  engraver's  hands  with  the  nebulae 
pictures.  And  so  the  world  wags  with 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  "W.  HERSCHEL. 

SIR  J.  F.   W.   HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

....  On  the  30th  of  last  month  I  finished  the  reduc- 
tions of  all  my  Cape  nebulae  and  double  stars,  and  have  got 
all  the  former  and  all  but  a  very  small  number  of  the  latter 
arranged  in  catalogues  in  order  of  Rt.  Ascension  for  the 
epoch  1830,  Januaiy  1st.  Thus  these  two  most  important 
parts  of  my  Cape  work  are  at  last  secured  against  loss,  and 
it  will  not  be  long  now  before  I  shall  begin  to  prepare  for 
the  work  of  publication  in  good  earnest.  I  mean  as  to  the 
narrative  part. 

Dec.  8,  1842. 

LADY  HERSCHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

Jan.  12,  1843. 

....  Your  nephew  sends  you  his  translation  of  Schil- 
ler's beautiful  and  instructive  poem,  "  The  Walk,"  in  which 
he  tied  himself  down  to  the  original  metre,  and  each 
couplet  contains  the  sense  of  the  corresponding  couplet  in 
German,  so  that  the  full  strength  of  the  English  language 
was  required  to  do  justice  to  the  comprehensiveness  of 
Schiller's  ideas.  There  was  a  beautiful  walk  up  the  side  of 
Table  Mountain  which  always  reminded  Herschel  of  this 
poem,  and  made  him  love  it ;  and  lately  there  have  appeared 
in  an  Edinburgh  Review  translations  of  all  Schiller's  minor 
poems,  some  of  which  are  well  done ;  but  he  thought  "  The 


CHAI-.  vii.]      Sir  J.  Herschel's  Translation.  329 

Walk"  deserved  to  be  better  rendered,  so  lie  set  about  it, 
and  distributed  it  among  his  friends  as  bis  Christmas 
sugarplum.  The  number  of  interesting  autographs,  criti- 
cisms, witticisms,  £c.,  which  have  been  thereupon  returned, 
will  make  an  amusing  packet.  One  lady  says  (alluding  to 
the  singularity  of  the  hexameter  in  English)  that  she  found 
it  difficult  to  get  into  the  step  of  the  Walk ;  another,  that 
the  Walk  had  got  into  a  Run,  it  was  so  often  carried  off  by 
friends  from  his  table ;  another,  not  knowing  whence  it 
came,  intended  sending  it  to  Herschel  for  his  opinion  on  its 
merits!  another,  while  admiring  the  ideas,  says  "to  the 
verse  I  am  averse"  The  good  Misses  Baillie,  of  Hanipstead, 
have  been  greatly  delighted  with  it.  They  desired  their 
kindest  remembrances  to  you. 


MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

HANOVER,  March  1,  1843. 

....  Nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  (February  19).  This 
is  the  first  moment  of  quiet  after  six  da}rs  in  tumultuous 
joys  by  all  living  beings,  from  the  most  highest  to  the  most 
lowest,  and  I  will  give  you  here  an  account  of  what  share  I 
have  had  in  the  rejoicings.  In.  the  first  place,  I  must  begin 
with  confessing  that  I  have  been  uncommonly  ill  of  late, 
find  nobody  came  near  me  to  comfort  me ;  for  all  niy  friends 
were  too  busy  with  gala-dresses,  or  else  laid  up  with  colds, 
&c.,  from  shopping  in  bad  weather,  and  paddling  about  in 
the  snow,  and  I  am  at  this  moment  ignorant  of  how  they 
have  fared 

I  have  not  time  to  fill  the  paper,  for  my  friends  begin  now 
to  take  up  my  little  time  of  my  short  forenoons,  and  the 
evenings  I  cannot  see ;  so  here  I  send  what  I  have  been 
scribbling,  and  will  only  add  that  the  enclosed  programme 
was  sent  me,  on  the  14th  by  the  Crown  Prince,  who  having 


330  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1843. 

inquired  through  somehocly  after  my  health,  and  hearing  I 
was  well,  and  preparing  for  illumination,  was  much  affected ; 
and  yesterday  his  adjutant,  Major  Stolzenberg,  brought  me 
a  message  from  the  Crown  Prince,  including  H.  E.  H.  the 

Princess,  with  a  present  of  their  portraits. 

***** 

***** 

TO  SIR  J.  F.  W.  HEESCHEL,  BART. 

April,  1843. 
MY  DEAKEST  NEPHEW  ! — 

Many  thanks  for  your  dear  letter,  which  I  found  on 
my  breakfast-table  on  the  morning  of  the  16th  March,* 
....  when  the  Crown  Prince  and  Princess  were  announced. 
Mrs.  Clarke,  who  just  came  in,  assisted  me  to  entertain  the 
royal  and  interesting  pair  for  nearly  an  hour.  They  came 
in  arm  in  arm,  carrying  an  immense  bouquet  before  them, 
which  I  heard  afterwards  they  were  returning  with  from  the 
hothouses  at  Herrnhausen.  As  soon  as  the  Princess  was 
placed  on  the  sofa,  and  I  beside  the  same,  the  Crown  Prince 
drew  a  chair  close  to  me,  chatting  and  joining  in  our  con- 
versation. I  could  not  help  giving  the  Princess  the  lines  of 
your  letter  to  read,  where  you  mention  them  so  prettily,  and 
presenting  her  with  "  The  Walk,"  which  was  lying  among 
the  flowers  and  the  open  letters  before  us  on  the  table.  It 
was  a  little  rumpled  in  the  coming,  which  she  said  made  it 
the  more  welcome,  as  it  would  remind  her  of  its  having  once 
been  mine. 

I  intended  to  amuse  you  with  the  list  of  the  names  and 
titles  of  all  the  visitors  I  had  to  receive  on  that  day,  but  you 
will  find  them  one  of  these  days  in  my  Day-book  ;  and  I  will 
only  say  that  it  was  rather  too  much  to  expect  me  to  be 

*  Her  93rd  birthday. 


CHAP,  vii.]          On  the  Zodiacal  Light.  331 

civil  to  upwards  of  thirty  persons  in  one  day,  which  lasted 
till  evening,  so  that  I  had  no  time  to  eat  a  morsel,  finding 
myself  seriously  ill. 


May  4,  1843. 
Memorandum  for  my  next  letter,  made  April  23rd. 

To  my  Nephew.  On  reading  your  letter  to  the  editor  of 
the  Times,  of  March  31st,  I  recollect  having  written  down 
some  observations  of  your  father's  on  the  zodiacal  light; 
he  never  lost  an  opportunity  of  noticing  anything  remark- 
able during  twilight,  or  in  the  absence  of  nebulee,  &c.,  and 
I  remember  also  his  explaining  to  me  another  kind  of  ray, 
which  is  after  sun-setting,  reaching  up  very  high  ;  but  this, 
only  appears  for  one  or  two  nights  at  the  equinox  :  but  I  have 
forgot  all  about  it,  and  want  only  to  speak  here  about  a  tem- 
porary Index  to  observations,  in  which  I  know  a  few  of  such- 
like memorandums  were  catalogued  or  earned  in  their  sepa- 
rate books.  With  this  Index  your  father  was  never  satisfied, 
telling  me,  "  I  could  not  make  an  Index,  it  was  a  task  Sir 
I.  Newton  had  found  too  difficult  to  accomplish,"  .  .  .  - 
and  he  would  hardly  allow  me  to  make  use  of  this  book, 
after  calling  it  a  temporary  Index.  But  it  has  often  saved 
me  a  whole  week's  poring  over  the  Journals  for  a  memo- 
randum  

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  LADY  HEESCHEL. 

June,  1843. 
MY   DEAREST   AXD   BEST    NlECE, 

I  must  write  a  few  lines  by  way  of  thanking  you  for 
your  dear  letter  of  May  9th.  Your  description  of  the  splen- 
did observations  which  are  made  on  the  roof  of  your  own 
mansion,  recall  the  many  solitary  and,  at  the  same  time, 


332  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1S43. 

happy  hours  I  spent  on  my  little  roof  at  Slough,  when  I  was 
not  wanted  at  the  twenty-foot.  And  I  cannot  help  at  the 
same  time  regretting  my  having  spent  these  last  twenty 
years  in  so  useless  a  manner,  between  roofs  and  houses 
which  prevent  my  seeing  even  an  eclipse  of  the  moon  when 
in  a  low  part  of  the  ecliptic,  it  passes  away  behind  the  houses 
of  my  opposite  neighbours ;  and  so  did  the  glorious  tail  of 
your  cornet,  of  which,  however,  I  have  gathered  all  that 
has  been  said  in  the  papers,  besides  what  you  and  my 
<lear  nephew  have  been  so  kind  as  to  communicate 

I  have  just  been  reading  part  of  your  dear  packet  over 
again,  and  am  resolved  to  follow  your  advice,  and  say  as 
little  of  what  happens  now  as  possibly  I  can  help,  and  send 
herewith  what  I  call  the  first  part  of  my  History,  of  which  I 
wish  you  will  in  your  very  next  give  me  your  sincere 
opinion.  I  shall  judge  by  it  if  I  may  go  on,  or  lay  down 
the  pen  for  ever. 

(I  hope  the  packet  containing  my  brother's  biography 
has  been  safely  taken  care  of  among  his  papers,  for  I  have 
no  copy  of  it ;  pray  let  me  know  if  you  have  seen  such  a 
packet,  I  think  it  is  in  quarto,  and  that  I  put  it  in  a  cover 
like  all  the  MSS.) 

Of  the  present  I  can  only  say  that  I  have  been  unable  to 
•do  anything  beside  keeping  myself  alive,  and  getting  my 
clothes  on  by  twelve  at  noon,  so  that  I  may  be  able  to 
receive  anybody  who  may  call  on  me  between  that  hour  and 

•eight  in  the  evening. 

***** 

This  brings  to  my  remembrance,  that  when  I  was  god- 
mother to  Mrs.  Waterhouse's  eldest  sister  in  1787,  I  was 
•called  away  in  the  afternoon  to  help  my  brother  to  receive  the 
Princesse  Lamballe,  who  came  with  a  numerous  attendance 
to  see  the  moon,  &c.  About  a  fortnight  after,  her  head 
was  off. 


CHAP,  vii.]  On  her  Recollections.  333 

SIR   J.    F.    W.    HERSCHEL  TO  MISS   HERSCHEL. 

COLLIXGWOOD,  Sept.  13,  1843. 

MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

Again  we  are  rejoiced  b}'  the  sight  of  your  hand- 
writing, and  by  the  admirable  and  truly  interesting  History 
of  your  own  younger  days,  Avhich  you  have  sent  with  your 
delightful  letter,  and  which  arrived  perfectly  safe,  and,  you 
may  be  sure,  will  be  treasured  as  the  apple  of  the  eye,  anc( 
often  read  and  re-read.  I  began  the  reading  of  it  last  evening 
to  all  your  grand-nephews  and  nieces  who  are  old  enoitgh  to* 
understand  it,  and  the  History  of  their  great-grandpapa's, 
hardships  after  the  Battle  of  Dettingen,  and  poor  uncle 
Alexander's  harsh  treatment,  and  your  own  quiet,  thoughtful 
activity  and  self-dependence,  made  on  all  my  hearers,  as- 
well  as  on  myself,  an  impression  which  I  am  sure  will  not 
easily  be  forgotten,  and  which  I  shall  take  care  not  to  let 
them  forget.  We  all  entreat  you  to  continue  it,  and  you 
need  not  be  in  any  fear  about  the  writing.  Your  hand- 
writing (Gottlob  *)  is  still  excellently  good,  and  there  was. 
not  a  word  either  in  your  letter  or  in  the  "  History"  that 

gave  me  the  least  trouble  to  read 

....  I  visited  in  London  Mde.  Taylor  (whom  you  en- 
trusted with  the  pictures  of  your  Royal  visitors,  which  are 
very  charming  things,  and  seem  as  if  they  must  be  good 
likenesses).  I  did  not  find  her  husband  at  home,  but  she 
is  a  very  pleasing  person,  and  pleased  me  greatly  by  the 
respectful  and  friendly  way  in  which  she  spoke  of  you.  We 
hope  to  see  them  here,  where  they  will  be  much  valued,  as 
will  be  the  effigy  or  recollection  of  everybody  that  has  been 
kind  to  you,  or  anything  that  has  given  you  pleasure.  .  .  . 

The  only  news  I  have  to  send  you  is  that  of  Capt.  Ross's 
safe  return  with  the  South  Polar  Expedition  after  nearly 
four  years'  absence,  having  penetrated  to  the  79th  degree  of 

*  I  thank  God. 


334  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1844. 

"S.  Lat.,  and  discovered  a  new  continent  full  of  volcanoes  and 
icy  mountains,  and  the  true  position  of  the  south  magnetic 
pole.  He  anchored  his  ship  upon  the  spot  where  the 
Americans  sa}r  they  found  land,  and  found  no  bottom  at 
six  hundred  fathoms ! 

MISS  HERSCHEL  TO  SIR  J.    F.  W.   HERSCHEL. 

June  4,  1844. 

MY  DEAREST  NEPHEW, — 

....  For  these  last  three  months  I  have  not  been 
able  to  add  a  single  line  to  my  Memoir,  but  what  you  will 
find  among  my  papers  and  memorandums  ;  perhaps  your 
daughter  Isabella  may,  for  her  amusement  some  time  or 
other,  correct  and  write  in  the  clear,  my  scribblings,  for  I 
find  that  in  attempting  to  correct  one  blunder  I  am  making 
two  others  in  the  same  line.  But  I  wish  you  might  see, 
by  what  I  say  of  myself,  what  trouble  and  invention  it  must 
have  cost  your  father  to  enable  me  to  assist  in  determining 
the  places  of  all  these  objects,  and  I  see  with  pleasure  that 

your  observations  agree  so  nearh". 

***** 

I  was  going  to  send,  for  the  amusement  of  my  dear  niece, 
some  description  of  what  is  going  on  here  in  Hanover,  but 
I  find  it  would  be  too  much  for  my  time  and  patience  at 
present,  and  will  only  say  that  I  believe  they  are  all  out  of 
their  senses. 

There  is  an  Eiseribalm  *  from  Hanover  to  Braunschweig 
just  now  completed,  which  has  turned  them  all  wild. 
Some  hundreds  of  high  officers  all  (but  the  King)  set  off  at 
eight  o'clock  to  breakfast  with  the  Braunschweigers,  and 
returned  with  the  same  at  three  to  dinner  (eight  hundred  in 
number)  in  the  orangery  at  Herrnhausen,  from  whence  the 
Braunschweigers  returned  and  were  at  home,  I  believe, 

again  at  eight. 

*  Railway. 


CHAP.  Vii.]  The  Great  Telescope..  335 

I  am  too  tired  at  present,  else  I  was  going  to  tell  you  how 
they  are  building.  Hanover  is  now  twice  as  large  as  when  you 
saw  it  last ;  nothing  hut  castles  will  serve  them  any  longer. 
I  have  all  this  from  hearsay,  for  I  have  not  been  downstairs 
since  February  8,  1842. 

***** 

They  talk,  of  nothing  here  at  the  clubs  but  of  the  great 
mirror  and  the  great  man  who  made  it.  I  have  but  one 
answer  for  all,  which  is,  "  Der  Kerl  ist  ein  Narr  !"*.... 

MISS  HEESCHEL  TO  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

March  4,  1845. 
MY  DEAREST  NIECE, — 

***** 

Have  I  understood  you  aright  ?  Saw  you  the  ther- 
mometer 1^°  above  zero  ?  the  lowest  I  have  heard  of  here 
was  only  13°  below  freezing;  but  we  are  buried  in  snow  ! 

March  5tli. — No  alteration  in  the  weather,  nor  in  my  affec- 
tion for  my  dear  niece  and  nephew  and  their  ten  children  ! 

the  first  is  as  cold  as  the  latter  is  warm  ! 

***** 

April  29,  1845. 
In  his  father's  library  my  nephew  must  have  found  a 

folio  volume  of  H (an  astronomer  and  copper  engraver), 

where,  for  every  hour  a  distinct  picture  [of  the  moon]  is 
given.  In  the  Phil.  Transactions  for  1780,  p.  507,  is  the 
first  paper  of  William  Herschel  on  the  Moon.  In  1787; 
1792,  p.  27  ;  1793,  p.  206,  measure  of  mountains,  &c. 

Twent}r-three  years  ago,  when  first  I  came  here,  I  visited 
Madame  W.  (not  von)  once  or  twice,  saw  her  observatory 
and  a  telescope,  I  believe  not  above  24-inch  focal  length ; 
at  that  time  she  amused  herself  with  modelling  the  heads  of 
the  Eoinan  Emperors  :  her  daughter,  then  a  girl,  was  a  poet, 

*  The  fellow  is  a  fool ! 


336  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1846. 

and  a  portrait  of  her  was  "exhibited  as  a  Sappho  crowned 
with  laurels. 


The  great  difficulty  of  writing  begins  at  last  to  tell 
in  Miss  Herschel's  correspondence.  One  more  letter 
in  1845,  is  the  last  of  the  ample  sheets  she  had  been 
used  to  fill.  The  monthly  report  becomes  shorter,  more 
blotted,  and  betrays  extreme  feebleness.  On  the  first 
of  October,  1846,  she  wrote  : 

MY  DEAREST  NIECE  ! — 

I  must  not  let  the  messenger  go  without  a  line  just 
to  say  that  I  am  still  in  the  land  of  the  living,  of  which, 
however,  I  have  no  other  proof  than  a  letter  from  Baron 
v.  Humboldt,  inclosing  a  Golden  Medal  from  the  King  of 
Prussia.  I  can  say  no  more  at  present,  and  the  post  will 
not  wait,  so  believe  me,  my  dear  niece,  yours  and  my  dear 
nephew's  most  affectionate  aunt, 

CAR.  HERSCHEL. 

The  following  is  the  letter  referred  to  from  Alex- 
ander von  Humboldt  which  accompanied  the  Gold 
Medal  presented  by  the  King  of  Prussia  on  the  occasion 
of  her  ninety-sixth  birthday  : — 

BERLIN,  Sept.  25,  1846. 
MOST  HONOURED  LADY  AND  FRIEND  ! 

His  Majesty  the  King,  in  recognition  of  the  valuable 
services  rendered  to  Astronomy  by  you,  as  the  fellow-worker 
of  j'our  immortal  brother,  Sir  William  Herschel,  by  dis- 
coveries, observations,  and  laborious  calculations,  com- 
manded me,  before  his  departure  for  Silesia,  to  convey  to 
you,  in  his  name,  the  large  Gold  Medal  for  Science,  and  to 


CHAP,  vii.]         Letter — Baron  Humboldt.  337 

express  to  you  the  gratification  lie  felt  that,  by  God's  grace, 
your  noble  life  has  been  a  long  succession  of  years  free  of 
pain,  and  that  now  in  your  solitude  you  continue  to  enjoy 
the  reflected  glory  of  the  all-embracing  knowledge,  the 
great  labours  in  both  hemispheres,  and  the  profoundly 
penetrating  genius  of  your  illustrious  nephew,  Sir  John 
Herschel.  To  be  had  in  remembrance  by  an  intellectual 
and  kind-hearted  Prince  cannot  be  a  matter  of  indifference 
to  you.  He  had  wished  you  to  receive  this  little  gratifi- 
cation on  your  ninety-sixth  birthday,  and  by  an  unfortunate 
mistake  the  date  of  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel's  birth  has 
been  changed  from  the  16th  of  March  to  the  16th  of  October, 
and  I  am  the  culprit,  misled  by  a  misprint  in  a  French 
history  of  astronomy.  I  know  I  may  count  upon  your  in- 
dulgence and  that  of  your  distinguished  family  in  England. 
I  specially  deserve  such  leniency  to-day — the  day  on  which 
my  young  friend,  Dr.  Galle,  assistant  astronomer  in  our 
Observatory  (to  the  triumph  of  theoretical  astronomy  be  it 
said),  has  discovered  the  transuranian  planet  indicated  by 
Leverrier  as  the  cause  of  the  perturbations  of  Uranus. 

With  the  deepest  respect, 
I  am  your  most  obedient,  although  illegible, 

ALEXANDER  HUMBOLDT. 

Do  not  trouble  yourself  to  write  to  the  King;  I  will 
convey  your  thanks  to  him. 

Once  more  a  few  lines,  begun  November  1st,  and 
finished  December  3rd,  were  traced,  betraying,  now 
only  for  the  first  time,  the  apprehension  that  they 
might  be  the  last,  in  the  words — 

Miss  Beckedorff  shall  write  for  me  if  I  do  not  get 
better.  Loves  to  all. 

CAROLINE  HERSCHEL. 


338  Caroline  L^Lcret^a  Herschel.         [1846-1847. 

Even  this,  the  last  letter  of  all,  is  addressed  in  a 
large,  clear  handwriting.  Henceforth  "  the  messenger" 
carried  no  more  the  large  familiar  sheet  which  had 
often  been  filled  at  the  cost  of  many  days'  work  and 
frequent  re- writing ;  but  her  kind  friend,  Miss  Becke- 
dorfF,  wrote  a  regular  monthly  report  to  the  anxious 
friends  in  England,  from  which  the  following  most 
interesting  extracts  are  taken  : — 

EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  LETTERS  OF  MISS  BECKEDORFF  TO 
SIR  JOHN  AND  LADY  HERSCHEL. 

Dec.  1846. 

....  She  said  that  whilst  she  was  idling  away  her  time 
on  her  couch  she  had — with  her  mind's  eye — set  up  a  whole 
solar  system  in  one  corner  of  her  room,  and  given  to  each 
newly-discovered  star  its  proper  place.  She  cried  when  I 
told  her  again  of  your  and  Sir  John's  solicitude  about 
her,  &c. 

March,  1847. 

Her  likeness  has  been  taken  by  two  young  painters 
lately.  .  .  .  She  was  sitting — or  rather  reclining — for  her 
picture  whilst  my  niece  was  with  her,  and  the  exertion  of 
it  made  her  at  first  nervous  and  hysterical,  but  by  degrees 
she  overcame  it,  and  conversed  cheerfully.  I  am  sorry  to 
say  the  drawing  which  I  saw  did  not  do  justice  to  her 
intelligent  countenance ;  the  features  are  too  strong,  not 
feminine  enough,  and  the  expression  too  fierce ;  but  I  hear 
the  picture  which  I  did  not  see  is  more  like  her. 

March  31,  1847. 

I  am  commissioned  by  dear  Miss  Herschel  to  send  to 
you  and  for  her  dear  nephew,  with  her  best  love,  the  accom- 


€HAP.  vii.]  Declining  Strength.  339 

panying  print,  which  I  fear  will  at  first  sight  not  satisfy  you. 
The  artist  has,  I  believe,  imitated  the  style  of  the  old  German 
school  of  Albert  Diirer,  resembling  more  a  '  woodcut ' 
than  a  print,  nor  does  it  justice  to  her  fine  old  countenance. 
Yet  it  is  extremely  like  in  features,  expression,  and  deport- 
ment, her  eyes  having  taken  the  languid  expression  more 
from  fatigue  occasioned  by  her  sitting  for  the  picture,  whilst 
she  is  used  generally  to  recline  on  her  sofa,  and  I  see  them 
very  frequently  sparkle  with  all  their  former  animation.  .  .  . 
She  has,  as  I  predicted,  lived  to  begin  her  ninety-eighth 
year,  and  she  has  stood  the  exertions  and  excitements  of  her 
birthday  even  better  than  could  have  been  expected.  I  saw 
her  on  the  15th,  and  again  on  the  17th ;  for  knowing  that 
Mrs.  Clarke,  who,  like  all  General  Halkett's  family,  are  full 
of  kind  attentions  to  her,  would  act  as  her  aide-de-camp  on 
the  occasion,  I  felt  that  it  would  only  be  adding  to  the 
number  of  those  who  must  be  kindly  spoken  to  if  I  had 
gone  to  see  her  on  the  16th.  Upon  passing  the  door  I  just 
saw  a  beautiful  and  most  comfortable  velvet  armchair,  a 
cake,  and  magnificent  nosegay  carried  up  to  her,  and  soon 
after  met  the  gracious  donor,  our  kind  Crown-Princess,  with 
the  Crown-Prince  and  the  Eoyal  child  driving  to  her ;  they 
stayed  nearly  two  hours,  Miss  Herschel  conversing  with 
them  without  relaxation,  and  even  singing  to  them  a  com- 
position of  Sir  William's,  *  Suppose  we  sing  a  Catch.'  The 
King  sent  his  message  by  Countess  Grote.  On  the  17th  I 
found  her,  more  revived  than  exhausted,  in  a  new  gown  and 
smart  cap,  which  Betty  provided ;  and  Betty's  own  cap  was 
new  trimmed  for  the  occasion,  strictly  in  keeping  with  the 
style  of  her  mistress,  and  I  can  but  again  commend  the 
judgment  and  zeal  with  which  she  makes  her  arrangements 
for  the  comfort  and  appearance  of  dear  Miss  Herschel,  and 
for  a  fit  reception  of  her  high  and  numerous  visitors. 

....  I  ran  over  to  ask  for  Miss  Herschel's  own  message 

z  2 


340  Caroline  Lucretia,  Herschel.  [1847. 

before  I  seal.  I  am  to  "give  her  best  love  to  her  dear 
nephew,  niece,  and  the  children,  and  to  say  that  she  often 
Avished  to  be  with  them,  often  felt  alone,  did  not  quite  like 
old  age  with  its  weaknesses  and  infirmities,  but  that  she  too- 
sometimes  laughed  at  the  world,  liked  her  meals,  and  was. 
satisfied  with  Betty's  services.", 

....  You  may  rest  assured  that  she  is  most  carefully 
attended  to,  and  Betty  is  not  only  fully  to  be  depended 
upon,  but  is  also  extremely  judicious,  and  the  only  person 
who  has  gained  Miss  Herschel's  entire  confidence  and 

approbation I  have  charged    her   to  come  to  me 

whenever  she  sees  a  possibility  of  doing  anything  for  her 
mistress's  comfort,  and,  from  the  girl's  unaffected  attach- 
ment for  her,  can  quite  rely  upon  her.  Dear  Miss  Herschel 
has,  indeed,  arranged  everything  beforehand  ;  and  for  years 
past  has  reserved  a  sum  to  answer  all  calls  in  the  event  of 
her  death. 

June  29,  1847. 

....  I  generally  find  her  dozing,  and  now  always, 
lying  on  her  sofa  ;  she  requires,  however,  but  a  very  short 
moment  to  recollect  herself,  and  then  enters  into  a  conver- 
sation, of  which  she  takes  the  greater  and  by  far  the  better 
part  on  herself.  It  generally  carries  her  back  to  old  times 
and  events  and  persons  long  gone  by,  sometimes  with  great 
humour,  sometimes  with  regret ;  and  when  she  enters  upon 
subjects  of  vexation,  I  have  the  means  of  restoring  cheerful- 
ness and  satisfaction  by  speaking  of  her  nephew  and  his. 
family.  She  avoids  topics  of  a  directly  serious  and  religious 
nature — and  is  indeed  so  much  alone  that  she  has  time  for 
these  reflections  when  by  herself. 

Dec.  2,  1847. 

A  few  days  ago  she  talked  of  her  childhood,  and  even 
sung  me  a  little  ballad  she  had  then  learnt. 


CHAI-.  vii.]      Survey  of  Nebulous  Heavens.  341 

While  her  faculties  were  equal  to  the  appreciation 
of  the  gift,  she  received  a  copy  of  Sir  John  Herschel's 
great  work  of  Cape,  Observations.  The  first  of  the 
two  following  letters  tells  how  it  was  in  progress  ;  the 
next  announces  its  completion ;  and  thus,  by  a  most 
striking  and  happy  coincidence,  she,  whose  unflagging 
toil  had  so  greatly  contributed  to  its  successful  prose- 
cution in  the  hands  of  her  beloved  brother,  lived  to 
witness  its  triumphant  termination  through  the  no- 
less  persistent  industry  and  strenuous  labour  of  his 
son,  and  her  last  days  were  crowned  by  the  possession 
of  the  work  which  brought  to  its  glorious  conclusion 
Sir  William  Herschel's  vast  undertaking — THE  SURVEY 
OF  THE  NEBULOUS  HEAVENS. 


SIR  J.    F.  W.   HEESGHEL  TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

COLLINGWOOD,  Dec.  8,  1846. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

Your  letter,  which  arrived  this  morning,  confirms 
the  apprehension  which  the  absence  of  any  news  from  you 
during  the  last  month  had  begun  to  excite,  that  you  were 
unwell,  and  has  caused  us  the  liveliest  sorrow.  How  I  wish 
we  were  near  you,  that  dear  M.  could  be  with  you  and  nurse 
you.  But  the  same  kind  Providence  which  has  preserved 
you  so  long  in  health  will  not  fail  you  in  sickness.  Mean- 
while, I  pray  and  entreat  you  not  to  decline  the  attendance 
of  our  good  Dr.  Miihry,  or  to  avail  yourself  of  any  comforts 
that  Hanover  can  afford.  We  shall  look  most  anxiously 
for  further  accounts  from  Mde.  Knippng,  or  if  her  family 
distresses  will  not  allow  her  (as  you  say  she  has  lost  her 


342  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1847. 

mother  very  lately),  from  the  kind  pen  of  Miss  Beckedorff, 
and  I  hope  they  will  not  wait  for  the  messenger,  but  write 
by  the  post,  and  that  immediately,  as  soon  as  this  reaches- 
your  hands. 

Still  I  trust  to  see  many  more  letters  in  your  own  hand- 
writing, and  that  the  cessation  of  the  very  severe  weather 
we  have  had  of  late  will  prove  beneficial  in  restoring  your 
strength,  to  enable  you  to  face  the  farther  progress  of  the 
season,  which,  if  your  climate  is  anything  like  ours,  is  always 
worse  in  February  than  at  Christmas 

I  am  working  still  hard  at  my  book  (of  which  you  will 
have  by  this  time  received  the  first  four  hundred  pages),  but 
I  cannot  get  on  quite  so  fast  as  I  would,  and  I  greatly  fear 
it  will  not  be  out  by  Christmas. 

SIR  JOHN  HERSCHEL    TO  MISS  HERSCHEL. 

July  11,  1847. 
MY  DEAR  AUNT, — 

I  send  to  the  messenger  who  will  take  this,  a  copy  of 
my  "  Cape  Observations"  for  you,  and  I  hope  it  will  not  be 
too  large  for  him  to  take. 

You  will  then  have  in  your  hands  the  completion  of  my 
father's  work — "  The  Survey  of  the  Nebulous  Heavens." 

I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  look  at  the  figures  (the  en- 
gravings of  the  principal  nebulas).  As  to  the  letter-press, 
the  Introduction  will  perhaps  interest  you,  and  I  daresay 
Miss  Beckedorff  or  Mde.  Knipping  will  be  kind  enough  to 
read  it  to  you — a  little  at  a  time. 

A  copy  is  on  its  way  I  presume  by  this  time  to  His  Ma- 
jesty the  King  of  Hanover,  as  a  testimony  of  respect  to  a 
sovereign  who  has  shown  you  on  many  occasions  such  kind 
attentions. 

Louisa  sends  you  all  our  news,    and  the  autographs  of 


CHAP,  vii.]  Latter  Days.  343 

Struve  and  Adams,    who,  with  M.  Leverrier,  are  now  at 
Collingwood. 

Adieu,  dear  aunt, 
From  your  ever-affectionate  nephew, 

J.  F.  W.  HERSCHEL. 

But  the  time  was  past  when  such  gifts  could  be 
acknowledged  with  the  old  enthusiasm,  though  the 
faculty  to  appreciate  them  had  not  failed,  and  we  can 
well  imagine  how  nothing  in  the  power  of  man  to 
bestow  could  have  given  her  such  pleasure  on  her 
death-bed  as  this  last  crowning  completion  of  her 
brother's  work. 

The  Day-book  had  long  ceased.  The  final  entry, 
on  3rd  September,  1845,  is  "  Astronomischen  Nacli- 
richten  *  came  in."  As  the  letters  show,  the  never- 
failing  birthday  festival  had  been  gallantly  encountered, 
and  the  accustomed  offerings  of  her  many  friends  with 
their  good  wishes,  always  including  those  of  the  Royal 
Family,  received  in  the  usual  place.  But  the  curtain 
begins  to  descend,  and  the  months  to  go  by  with  only 
a  bulletin  to  announce  that  she  still  lived,  and,  as  the 
following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  her  friend 
Miss  Beckedorff  shows,  with  unabated  will  and  perfectly 
collected  faculties : — 

Her  decided  objection  to  having  her  bed  placed  in  a 
warmer  room  had  brought  on  a  cold  and  cough,  and  so  firm 

*  The  days  on  which  this  periodical  arrived  are  always  noted  in  the  Day- 
books. 


344  Caroline  Liter etia  Herschel.  [1848- 

was  her  determination  to  preserve  her  old  customs,  and  not 
to  yield  to  increasing  infirmities,  that  when,  upon  Dr.  M.'s 
positive  orders,  I  had  a  bed  made  up  in  her  room,  before 
she  came  to  sit  in  it  one  day,  it  was  not  till  two  o'clock  in 
the  night  that  Betty  could  persuade  her  to  lie  down  in  it. 
Upon  going  to  her  the  next  morning,  I  had  the  satisfaction, 
however,  of  finding  her  perfectly  reconciled  to  the  arrange- 
ment ;  she  now  felt  the  comfort  of  being  undisturbed,  and 
she  has  kept  to  her  bed  ever  since.  Her  mental  and  bodily 
strength  is  gradually  declining,  and  although  she  at  times 
rallies  wonderfully,  we  can  hardly  expect  that  another 
month  will  elapse  ere  I  have  to  make  my  sad  and  last 
report.  .  .  .  She  says  that  she  is  without  pain ;  fever  has 
left  her,  and  her  pulse  is  regular  and  good,  though  weak  at 
times.  She  still  turns  and  even  raises  herself  without 

assistance,  and   at  times  converses   with  us A  few 

days  ago  she  was  ready  for  a  joke.  When  Mrs.  Clarke  told 
her  that  General  Halkett  sent  his  love,  and  "  hoped  she 
would  soon  be  so  well  again  that  he  might  come  and  give 
her  a  kiss,  as  he  had  done  on  her  birthday,"  she  looked  very 
archly  at  her,  and  said,  "  Tell  the  General  that  I  have  not 
tasted  anything  since  I  liked  so  well."  I  have  just  left  her, 
and  upon  my  asking  her  to  give  me  a  message  for  her 
nephew,  she  said,  "  Tell  them  that  I  am  good  for  nothing," 

and  went  to  sleep  again She  is  not  averse  to  seeing 

visitors. 

January  6th. 

Four  days  later  the  same  kind  friend  had  to  tell 
how  peacefully  and  gently  the  end  came  at  last. 

Jan.  1.0th,  1848. — Your  excellent  aunt,  my  kind  revered 
friend,  breathed  her  last  at  eleven  o'clock  last  night,  the  9th 
of  January.  .  .  .  She  suffered  but  little,  and  went  t,o  sleep 


CHAP,  vii.]         The  Long  Life  is  Ended.  345 

at  last  with  scarcely  a  struggle.  Up  to  the  last  moment  she 
has  had  the  most  undeniable  proofs  of  the  affection  and 
veneration  of  her  own  family  and  a  number  of  friends,  both 
English  and  German.  Mr.  Wilkinson,  the  English  clergy- 
man, has  been  unremitting  in  his  visits,  and  so  kind  and 
judicious  was  his  manner,  that  she  received  them  to  the 

last  with  unfeigned  satisfaction At  four  o'clock  the 

guns  announced  the  birth  of  a  young  Princess — an  event 
she  had  anticipated  with  much  interest;  and  upon  her  being 
told  of  it  she  opened  her  eyes  for  the  last  time  with  con- 
sciousness. 

The  following,  translated  from  a  letter  of  Miss 
Herschel's  niece,  Mrs.  Knipping,  to  her  cousin,  Sir  J. 
Herschel,  is  a  most  precious  fragment,  expressing  the 
sentiments  of  one  who  for  years  contributed  to  lighten 
the  grievous  burden  of  age  and  growing  infirmity  by 
her  constant  affection  and  appreciative  sympathy. 
The  regret  that  so  little  remains  from  the  same  pen  is 
enhanced  by  the  fact  that  no  notes,  or  memorials  of 
any  kind,  appear  to  exist  by  which  we  might  hope  to 
picture  to  ourselves  one  whose  unconscious  self-por- 
traiture makes  us  crave  to  see  and  know  and  become 
familiarly  acquainted  with  her,  as  she  was  seen  and 
known  by  others.  Comparatively  recent  as  was  her 
death,  to  the  best  of  our  knowledge  all  have  passed  away 
from  whose  lips  we  could  hope  to  gather  the  impressions 
of  personal  acquaintance.  Excepting  from  the  letters 
already  quoted  on  the  occasion  of  her  nephew's  two 
visits  to  Hanover,  it  is  not  until  she  lay  on  her  death- 


34G  Caroline  Lucretia  Herschel.  [1848. 

bed  that  we  obtain  a  glimpse  of  her  drawn  by  any 
other  hand  than  her  own. 

January  IS,  1848. 

....  I  felt  almost  a  sense  of  joyful  relief  at  the  death 
of  my  aunt,  in  the  thought  that  now  the  unquiet  heart  was 
at  rest.  All  that  she  had  of  love  to  give  was  concentrated 
on  her  beloved  brother.  At  his  death  she  felt  herself  alone. 
For  after  those  long  years  of  separation  she  could  not  but 
find  us  all  strange  to  her,  and  no  one  could  ever  replace  his 
loss.  Time  did  indeed  lessen  and  soften  the  overpowering 
weight  of  her  grief,  and  then  she  would  regret  that  she  had 
ever  left  England,  and  condemned  herself  to  live  in  a  coun- 
try where  nobody  cared  for  astronomy.  I  shared  her  regret, 
but  I  knew  too  well  that  even  in  England  she  must  have 
found  the  same  blank.  She  looked  upon  progress  in  science 
as  so  much  detraction  from  her  brother's  fame,  and  even 
your  investigations  would  have  become  a  source  of  estrange- 
ment had  she  been  with  you.  She  lived  altogether  in  the 
past,  and  she  found  the  present  not  only  strange  but  annoy- 
ing. Now,  thank  God,  she  has  gone  where  she  will  find 
again  all  that  she  loved.  I  shall  long  feel  her  loss,  for  I 
prized  and  loved  her  dearly,  and  it  is  to  me  a  most  pre- 
cious recollection  that  she  loved  me  best  of  all  those  here, 
admitted  me  to  closer  intimacy,  and  allowed  me  to  know 
something  even  of  her  inner  life. 

All  the  necessary  instructions  about'  her  property, 
her  house,  her  burial,  she  had  written  years  before ; 
even  the  sum  which  she  considered  sufficient  had  been 
carefully  set  apart  for  the  funeral  expenses,  and  every- 
thing, down  to  the  minutest  trifle,  had  been  arranged, 
so  that  her  executor,  Sir  John  Herschel,  might  have 


CHAP,  vii.]  The  End  of  All.  347 

the  least  possible  trouble.  She  especially  prayed  him 
not  to  come  should  her  death  occur  in  the  winter ;  but 
the  reiterated  instructions  through  the  long  series  of 
letters  show  how  keen  was  her  anxiety  that  whatever 
she  possessed  of  value  should  pass  into  his  hands,  and 
that  no  one  of  her  Hanoverian  connections,  with  the 
exception  of  Mrs.  Knipping  [who,  with  Miss  Becke- 
dorff,  was  entrusted  with  her  keys],  should  inter- 
meddle. She  desired  to  be  laid  beside  her  father  and 
mother,  and  an  inscription  *  of  her  own  composition 
records  how  she  was  her  brother's  assistant,  &c.  She 
was  followed  to  the  grave  by  many  relations  and 
friends,  the  Eoyal  carriages  forming  part  of  the  pro- 
cession; the  coffin  was  covered  with  garlands  of 
laurel  and  cypress  and  palm  branches  sent  by  the 
Crown  Princess  from  Herrnhausen,  and  the  holy 
words  spoken  over  it  were  uttered  in  that  same 
garrison  church  in  which,  nearly  a  century  before,  she 
had  been  christened,  and  afterwards  confirmed.  One 
direction  she  could  not  put  on  paper,  but  she  desired 
Mrs.  Knipping  to  place  in  her  coffin  a  lock  of  her 
beloved  brother's  hair  and  an  old,  almost  obliterated, 
almanack  that  had  been  used  by  her  father. 

*  The  inscription  is  given  in  the  Appendix. 


APPENDIX. 


THE  inventory  of  the  books,  pictures,  &c.,  in  the  sitting- 
room  of  No.  876  Braunschweiger  Strass,  is  too  character- 
istic to  be  omitted.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  it : — 

Inventory  of  engravings,  all  in  good  black  frames,  with  gilded; 
beads,  and  glazed : — 
My  Nephew,  J.  H. 
My  Mother. 

A  drawing  of  Slough,  by  J.  Herschel. 
My  Brother,  Lithographed. 
Forty-foot  Telescope. 

Medallion  of  Wm.  H.,  by  Flaxman,  of  1782. 
Ditto,  by  Lochie,      of  1787. 

Engraving  of  Dr.  Maskelyne,  and 
Greenwich  Observatory  (presented  to  me  by  himself). 

BOOKS. 

Bode's  Atlas. 

South's  Observations  on  Double  and  Treble  Stars,  from  PhiL 
Transactions,  Vol.  I.,  1826. 

South's  Discordance  between  the  Sun's  observed  and  computed 
Place.  1826. 

On  the  Elements  and  Orbit  of  Halley's  Comet,  &c.,  by  Lieut.  W.  S» 
Stratford,  1837. 

Preface  to,  &c.,  &c.,  of  a  General  Astronomical  Catalogue,  by  F» 
Wollaston,  1789. 

J.  H.'s  Fourth  Series  of  Observations  with  a  twenty- foot  Eeflector, 
containing  the  places  of  1236  Double  Stars. 

Stars  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere,  observed  at  Paramatta,  in  New 
South  Wales,  by  J.  Dunlop,  1828. 

Astronom.  Nachrichtens,  from  1833  to  1839,  in  7  vols.  (half  bound). 

Emerson's  Treatise  of  Arithmetic. 


350  Appendix. 

Introduction  to  Sir  I.  Newton's  Philosophy,  with  an  Essay  on,  &c., 
by  John  Eyland,  M.A.  (Mem. — A  Keepsake  of  General  Komer- 
zeusky  to  me,  and  now  the  same  to  my  dear  Nephew  from  his  affec- 
tionate Aunt,  0.  H.) 

Salmon's  Geographical  and  Astronomical  Grammar. 

Ferguson's  Astronomy. 

Watson's  Universal  Gazetteer. 

Quarterly  Journal,  Vol.  XII.,  1822. 

Quarterly  Eeview,  July,1832. 

Edinburgh  Eeview,  January,  1834. 

The  Connection  of  Physical  Science,  by  Mrs.  Somerville,  1835. 

Third  Vol.  of  Johanna  Baillie's  Plays.  (Mem. — Was  given  me  by 
Lady  H.  the  day  before  I  left  England,  to  remember  my  friend,  J.  B. 

John  P.  Wm.  Herschel's  Discourses  on  Nat.  Philosophy,  which  was 
published  in  Dr.  Lardner's  Cabinet,  and  that  on  Astronomy,  I  had 
handsomely  bound  and  presented  them  to  the  Duke  of  Cambridge, 
who  asked  them  of  me,  and  would  not  even  wait  till  I  could  read 
them  through  myself. 

Gottinger  Anzeigen,  202,  203  Stuck,  Dec.  14,  1833. 

J.  Herschel's  Papers,  from  January  12th,  1828,  to  Nov.  llth,  1833. 
Bound  and  directed  to  the  Duke  of  Cambridge  (from  C.  H.). 

Eighteen  of  Wm.  H.'s  Papers,  collected  and  bound  in  one  volume, 
and  directed  for  Hauptman  Miiller. 

liber  den  Neuentdecken  Planeten,  by  Bode,  1784. 

Introduction  to  English  Grammar,  by  E.  South. 

1st  and  2nd  Vols.  of  Pfaf  s  Translation  of  Herschel's  Samptlichen 
Schriften,  1826  (collected  works). 

Abominable  stuff !  What  is  to  be  done  with  them  ?  They  are  so 
prettily  bound,  I  cannot  take  it  in  my  heart  to  burn  them. 


Landing  place  and  five  back  rooms  contain  nothing  but  what  is 
necessary  for  the  convenience  of  my  servant  and  myself;  and  is 
mostly  bought  at  the  fairs,  for  a  trifling  price.  (Tables  and  chairs 
stained  like  mahogany,  the  latter  with  cane  bottoms,  at  18d.  a-piece, 
are,  after  seven  years'  use,  like  new.) 

Landing-place  :  A  clothes-press,  a  glass  globe,  a  few  chairs. 

My  Bedroom :  A  bedstead  and  bedding,  &c. ,  &c.  70  thl.  dressing- 
glass,  mahogany  frame,  plate  22  by  14  inches.  (I  brought  it  with  me 
from  England.) 

A  cupboard  containing  tea  things,  &c.,  for  company.  Urn,  tea- 
board,  &c.,  waiter,  two  teapots,  milk-pot,  and  slop-bason  (black 
Wedgwood). 


Appendix.  351 

A  few  cups  and  saucers,  coffee-pot,  two  glass  plates,  one  and  half 
dozen  bishop  glasses,  tumblers,  cake-basket,  &c. 

Plate :  Ha !  ha  !  ha  !  ha  ! 

Twelve  teaspoons,  1  sugar-tongs,  1  table,  1  dessert,  and  1  saltspoon, 
4  plated  candlesticks,  very  little  used. 

The  superscription  on  the  last  page  is  as  follows  : — 

It  is  a  pity  that  I  am  not  at  Slough  to  put  the  glazed  prints  in  my 
nephew's  study ;  and  many  articles  of  furniture  would  be  so  useful  in 
the  school-room  of  my  little  nephews  and  nieces.  God  bless  them  all ! 


EPITAPH   OF  MISS   HERSCHEL. 

Hier  ruhet  die  irdische  Hiille  von 

CAROLINA  HERSCHEL, 

Geboren  zu  Hannover  den  16ten  Marz,  1750, 

Gestorben  den  9tcn  Januar,  1 848. 

Der  Blick  der  Verkliirten  war  hienieden  dem  gestirnten  Himmel 
zugewandt,  die  eigenen  Cometen  Entdeckungen,  und  die  Theilnahme 
an  den  unsterblichen  Arbeiten  ihres  Bruders,  Wilhelm  Herschel, 
zeugen  davon  bis  in  die  spate  Nachwelt. 

Die  Konigliche  Irlandische  Akademie  zu  Dublin  und  die  Konigliche 
Astronomische  Gesellschaft  in  London  zahlten  sie  zu  ihreu  Mitgliedern. 

In  den  Alter  von  97  Jahren  10  Monathen  entschlief  sie  mit  heiterer 
Ruhe  und  bei  volliger  Geisteskraft,  ihrem  zu  einem  besseren  Leben 
vorangegangenen  Vater  Isaac  Herschel  folgend  der  ein  Lebensalter 
von  60  Jahren,  2  Monathen,  17  Tagen  erreichte  und  seit  den  25te" 
Marz,  1767,  hierneben  begraben  liegt. 

[Translation.'} 

Here  rests  the  earthly  exterior  of 

CAROLINE  HERSCHEL, 

Born  at  Hanover,  March  16,  1750, 

Died  January  9,  1848. 

The  eyes  of  Her  who  is  glorified  were  here  below  turned  to  the  starry 
Heavens.  Her  own  Discoveries  of  Comets,  and  her  participation  in  the 


352  Appendix. 

immortal  Labours  of  her  Brother,  William  Herschel,  bear  witness  of 
this  to  future  ages. 

The  Eoyal  Irish  Academy  of  Dublin,  and  the  Eoyal  Astronomical 
Society  of  London  enrolled  Her  name  among  their  Members. 

At  the  age  of  97  years  10  months  she  fell  asleep  in  calm  rest,  and 
in  the  full  possession  of  her  faculties,  following  into  a  better  Life  her 
Father,  Isaac  Herschel,  who  lived  to  the  age  of  60  years  2  months 
17  days,  and  lies  buried  not  far  off,  since  the  29th  of  March,  1767. 


THE   GRAVE   OF   CAROLINE   HERSCHEL. 

FROM  MISS  BECKEDORFF. 

Feb.  4,  1850. 

"...  If  I  have  owned  my  having  neglected  visiting  Sir  John's  living 
relations,  it  has  not  been  the  same  with  the  churchyard.  I  have  now 
been  confined  with  cold  and  fever  seven  weeks,  but  one  of  my  last 
visits  was  to  our  lamented  friend's  grave,  which,  with  the  stone  and 
inscription  on  it,  was  in  perfect  order.  On  the  16th  of  March  I 
intend  to  have  a  bush  of  white  roses  planted  near  it,  knowing  that 
my  good  mother  would  have  paid  her  that  little  tribute  had  she  out- 
lived her  revered  friend.  The  white  rose  she  had  planted  on  the  grave 
of  Mrs.  P.  (?)  in  the  same  churchyard  (the  mutual  friend  of  both) 
continue  to  blossom  every  year,  and  now  are  a  memorial  to  me  and 
my  good  mother  likewise." 

FROM   HERR  WINNECKE  (Assist.  Astron.  at  PulkoAva. ) 

"  Travelling  a  few  days  ago  through  Hanover,  I  seized  the  oppor- 
tunity of  visiting  Miss  Caroline's  grave.  Pastor  Eichter,  her  grand- 
nephew,  took  me  to  it.  It  is  in  the  churchyard  of  the  '  Garten- 
gemeinde,'  and  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  ;  a  heavy  slab  lies  on 
it,  on  which  is  engraved  a  long  inscription,  composed  by  Miss  Caroline 
herself.  At  the  head  is  planted  a  rose-bush,  from  which  I  gathered 
the  leaves  which  I  enclose.  I  venture  also  to  send  two  '  shadow- 
outlines  '  of  Miss  Caroline,  which  I  had  taken  from  a  silhouette  in  the 
possession  of  Frau  Dr.  GroskopfF." 

June  26,  1864. 


INDEX. 


ACADEMY. 

Academy,  R.  Irish,  300. 
Astronomical  Society  of  London.  221, 

271. 
Aubert,  Alex.,  letter  from  Miss  Her- 

schel  on  discovering  her  first  comet, 

66 ;  her  third  comet,  86. 

Baily,  F. ,  letter  from  Miss  Herschel, 
272-274  ;  letter  to  her  with  his 
"Account  of  Flamsteed,"  281 ;  her 
answer,  282. 

Baldwin,  Miss,  her  marriage,  129  ; 
death,  132. 

Banks,  Sir  J.,  letter  from  "William 
Herschel  en  his  sister's  second 
comet,  84  ;  from  Miss  Herschel  on 
her  third  comet,  85  ;  and  her 
eighth,  94. 

Beckedorff,  Miss,  letters  during  the 
latter  years  of  Miss  Herschel 's  life, 
338-340,  343-345. 

Beckedorff,  Mrs.,  108. 

Blagden,  Dr.,  letter  from  Miss  Her- 
schel ahout  her  first  comet,  65. 

Brewster,  Sir  David,  opinion  of  Miss 
Herschel's  catalogue  of  all  the  star- 
clusters  and  Nebulae,  145,  146. 

Cambridge,  Duke  of,  letter  to  Miss 
Herschel  on  the  return  of  her 
nephew  from  the  Cape,  292. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope — Sir  John  Her- 
schel leaves  the  Cape,  292. 

Collingwood,  the  seat  of  the  Herschel 
family,  320. 

Comets,  Miss  Herschel's  first,  64 ; 
second,  80  ;  third,  85 ;  fifth,  sixth, 
93  ;  eighth,  94. 

Cumberland,  Duke  of,  proclaimed 
king  of  Hanover,  290. 

Dessau,  Princess  of  Anhalt,  letter  to 
Miss  Herschel,  267. 


rHERSCHEL. 

Earthquake  at  Lisbon,  sensation  pro- 
duced in  Hanover,  0. 

Encke,  Prof.,  letter  to  Miss  Herschel, 
248. 

Englefield,  Sir  H.,  letter  from  W. 
Herschel  on  his  sister's  second 
comet,  83. 

Epitaph  on  Miss  Herschel,  351. 

Etna,  Mount,  ascent  by  Sir  John 
Herschel,  173. 

Flamsteed's    Catalogue,   calculations 

for,  60. 
Forty-foot  telescope,    76,    308,   309, 

310. 

Gauss,  Hofrath,  letter  from  Miss 
Herschel,  with  her  index  to  Flam- 
steed's  Observations,  191  ;  his  an- 
swer, 195. 

George  III.  visits  the  Slough  Obser- 
vatory, 104  ;  anecdote  of,  and  the 
Archb.  of  Canterbury,  309. 

Georgian  Satellites,  the,  74,  305, 
316. 

Georgium  Sitlus,  the,  discovered,  39. 

Gloucester,  Princess  Sophia^  of,  visit 
to  the  telescope,  128. 

Halley's  Comet,  283. 

Herschel,  Alex.,  assists  his  brother 
William,  36,  53,  109,  111,  115, 
122 ;  returns  to  Hanover,  125 ; 
death,  132  ;  notice  of,  132. 

Herschel,  Caroline  Lucretia,  early 
recollections,  1-28 ;  affection  for 
her  brother  William,  9  ;  at  the 
Garrison  school,  11  ;  her  father's 
careful  training,  13  ;  typhus  fever, 
15  ;  confirmation,  17  ;  learns  dress- 
making, 21  ;  accompanies  William 
to  England,  26-28  ;  life  in  Bath, 
29-50  ;  Heimwehe,  33 ;  visit  to 
A  A 


354 


Index. 


HERSCHEL. 

Mrs.  Colebrook,  34  ;  musical  re- 
hearsals, 36 ;  reputation  as  a  singer, 
40  ;  assists  her  brother,  42  ;  life  at 
Datchet,  50  ;  accidents,  55  ;  Clav 
Hall,  57  ;  Slough,  58 ;  Flamsteed's 
Catalogue,  60,  61  ;  her  sweeps,  64, 
146-148  ;  first  comet,  64  ;  salary 
of  501.  as  her  brother's  assistant, 
75  ;  her  eight  comets,  80-94  ;  lives 
by  herself,  95 ;  Index  to  Flam- 
steed's  Observations,  96  ;  extracts 
from  diary,  98-132  ;  at  Bath,  105  ; 
at  Slough,  107  ;  removes  to  Chalvy, 
108  ;  resides  at  Upton,  109  ;  re- 
turns to  Hanover  on  the  death  of 
her  brother,  133  ;  Recollections, 
133-140  ;  her  works,  145  ;  bitter 
disappointment  in  her  brother 
Dietrich's  family,  149  ;  letters, 
152  ;  Catalogue  of  the  Nebulae, 
181  ;  her  will,  200  ;  presentation 
of  the  Gold  Medal  of  the  Royal 
Astronomical  Society,  221 ;  her 
portrait,  237,  338  ;  Paganini,  247  ; 
her  nephew's  visit,  254  ;  anecdotes 
of  his  boyish  amusements,  259  ; 
Hon.  Member  of  the  Eoyal  Astro- 
nomical Society,  271  ;  letter  from 
Mrs.  Somerville,  274 ;  illumina- 
tion in  honour  of  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland  being  proclaimed  king 
of  Hanover,  290  ;  visit  of  her 
nephew  and  his  son,  293-295  ;  Hon. 
Member  of  the  R.  Irish  Academy, 
300  ;  extracts  from  day-book,  303- 
307  ;  anecdotes  of  the  forty-foot 
telescope,  308,  309 ;  describes 
Christmas  in  Germany,  313  ;  her 
92nd  birthday,  318 ;  begins  the  his- 
tory of  the  Herschels,  324  ;  her 
93rd  birthday,  330;  the  first 
railway  between  Hanover  and 
Braunschweig,  334 ;  presented  with 
a  gold  medal  by  the  king  of 
Prussia,  336  ;  her  last  letter,  337  ; 
enters  her  98th  year,  339  ;  her 
death,  344  ;  funeral,  347  ;  epitaph, 
351  ;  her  grave,  352. 
Herschel,  Sir  John,  first  mention  of, 
104  ;  at  Cambridge,  117  ;  senior 
wrangler,  120  ;  member  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  GOttingen,  125  ;  ascends 
Mount  Etna,  172  ;  at  Munich,  175  ; 


LA  LANDE. 

visits  his  aunt,  177,  293  ;  Secretary 
to  the  Royal  Society,  181  ;  at 
Montpelier,  201 ;  catalogue  of 
double  stars,  213  ;  his  marriage, 
236  ;  describes  his  aunt,  254  ;  anec- 
dotes of  his  boyhood,  259  ;  letters 
from  the  Cape,  263 ;  sweeping, 
266  ;  the  Milky  Way,  270  ;  Halley's 
comet,  283  ;  spots  on  the  sun,  286, 
287  ;  Saturn's  sixth  satellite,  288, 
289  ;  returns  to  England,  292 ; 
created  a  baronet,  305  ;  on  the 
Orionis  star,  316  ;  eclipse  of  the 
sun  in  1842,  327  ;  his  chrysotype 
pictures,  327  ;  translation  of  Schil- 
ler's "  Walk,"  328,  329  ;  acknow- 
ledges his  aunt's  history,  333. 

Herschel,  Lady,  letters  from  Miss 
Herschel,  152  ct  scq.  ;  her  death, 
252. 

Herschel,  Sir  William,  early  display 
of  talents,  3  ;  proficiency  in  music, 
7  ;  accompanies  his  regiment  to 
England,  8  ;  resides  at  Bath,  21  ; 
fetches  his  sister  Caroline,  26  ;  his 
musical  compositions,  36  ;  erection 
of  the  twenty-foot  telescope,  37  ; 
discovers  the  Georgium  Sidus,  39  ; 
casting  of  the  great  mirror,  43 ; 
goes  to  London  and  is  introduced 
to  the  King,  45;  Royal  Astronomer, 
50  ;  limited  salary,  50  ;  removes 
to  Datchet,  50;  to  Clay  Hall, 
57 ;  to  Slough,  58  ;  the  Georgian 
Satellites,  74 ;  marriage,  78  ;  ob- 
servations on  his  sister's  comet, 
84,  85  ;  his  failing  health,  124 ; 
sits  for  his  portrait,  129;  death, 
133. 

Hesse,  Princess  of,  letter  to  Miss 
Herschel,  267. 

Humboldt,  Alex,  von,  letter  to  Miss 
Herschel,  with  the  Gold  Medal  for 
Science  from  the  king  of  Prussia, 
336,  337. 

Knipping,  Mme.,  extract  from  letter 
upon  Miss  Herschel's  death,  346. 

Lind,  James,  100. 

La  Lande,  J.  de,  letter  to  Miss  Her- 
schel, 89  ;  her  answer,  91. 


Index. 


355 


Mor< 


MORGAN. 

de,   letter 


from    Miss 


Herschel  on  being  elected  Hon. 
Member  of  the  K.  A.  Society,  271. 

Mars,  observations  on,  53. 

Maskelyne,  Key.  Dr.,  letter  from 
Miss  Herschel,  on  discovering  her 
second  comet,  80  ;  on  the  Index  to 
Flamsteed's  Observations,  96. 

Nebula,  the,  196-198. 
Nebulte,  the  Cape,   and  double  stars, 
328. 

Ole  Bull,  the  violinist,  306. 
Orange,  Prince  of,  at  Slongh,  99. 
Orionis,  a,  a  variable  and  periodical 
star,  316. 

Piazzi,    Abbe,    at    Slough,    55  ;    at 

Catania,  173. 
Pigott,  Ed.,  letter  to  Miss  Herschel 

on  the  Flamsteed  Catalogue,  101. 

Eailway,  first,  betwe  en  Hanover  and 

Braunschweig,  334. 
Ross,    Capt.,    his  return   with    the 

South  Polar  Expedition,  333,  334. 

Schiller's  "Walk,"  translated  by  Sir 
J.  Herschel,  328,  329. 


ZODIACAL. 

Schumacher,  Prof.,  letter  from  Miss 

Herschel,  260. 
Scorpio,  258,  266. 
Seyffer,  Prof.,  letter  to  Miss  Herschel, 

92. 
Somerville,  Mrs.,  letter  to  Miss  Her- 

schel,  with  her  "Connexion  of  the 

Physical  Sciences,"  274. 
South,  J.,  his  400  stars,    194;   his 

address  to  the  Astronomical  Society 

on  presenting  the  hon.   medal  to 

Miss  Herschel,  222-227. 
Stewart,   P.,  letter  from  Miss  Her- 
schel, 277. 

Sun,  spots  on  the,  286,  287. 
"Survey  of  the  Nebulous  Heavens," 

the  conclusion  of  Sir  W.  Herschel's 

vast  undertaking,  341. 
Sweepings  for  comets,  146-148. 

Telescope,  the  forty-foot,  anecdotes 
of,  308,  309  ;  its  final  preservation, 
310. 

Watson,  Sir  W.,   first  acquaintance 

with  W.  Herschel,  42. 
Wilson,  Alex.,  notice  of,  99. 

Zodiacal  light,  the,  331. 


THE  END. 


BRADBURY,   AONEW,   &  CO.,   PRINTERS,  WHITEFRIAKS. 


60A,  ALBE.MARLE  STREET,  LONDOS, 
January,  1876. 


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Ellicott. 
State,  Church,  and  Synods. — Rev.  Dr. 

Irons. 
Religious  Use  of  Taste.— Rev.  R.  St. 

John  Tyrwhitt. 

Place  of  theLaity.— ProfessorBurrows. 
Parish  Priest. — Rev.  Walsham  How. 
Divines  of  16th  and  17th  Centuries. 

—Rev.  A.  W.  Haddan. 
Liturgies   and   Ritual,   Rev.  M.    F. 

Sadler. 

Church  &  Education.— Canon  Barry. 
Indian  Missions.— Sir  Bartle  Frere. 
Church  and  the  People.— Rev.  W.  D. 

Maclagan. 
Conciliation    and    Comprehension. — 

Rev.  Dr.  Weir. 


VOL.  II. 

Church  and  Pauperism.- — Earl  Kelson. 
American  Church. — Bishop  of  Western 

New  York. 
Church    and   Science.  —  Prebendary 

Clark. 

Ecclesiastical  Law. — IsambardBrunel. 
Church     &     Rational    Education. — 

Canon  Norris. 
Church  and  Universities. — John  G. 

Talbot. 

Toleration. — Dean  Cowie. 
Eastern  Church  and  Anglican  Com- 
munion.— Rev.  Geo.  Williams. 
A   Disestablished  Church. — Dean  of 

Cashel. 

Christian  Tradition. — Rev.  Dr.  Irons. 
Dogma. — Rev.  Dr.  Weir. 
Parochial      Councils.  —  Archdeacon 

Chapman. 


COLERIDGE'S  (SAMUEL  TAYLOR)  Table-Talk.  Portrait.  12mo.  3s.  6d. 

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CORNWALLIS  (THE)  Papers  and  Correspondence  during  the 
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10  LIST  OF  WORKS 


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History.     Post  8vo.    9s. 

DEUTSCH'S  (EMANUEL)  Talmud,  Islam,  The  Targums  and  other 

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Writings  of  the  late  CH>S.  WENTWOKTH  DILKE.  With  a  Biographi- 
cal Sketch.  2  Vols.  bvo.  24s. 

DOG-BREAKING ;  the    Most    Expeditious,  Certain,  and    Easy 

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GEN.  HCTCHINSON.  With  40  Woodcuts.  Crown  Svo.  9«. 

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DOUGLAS'S  (SiR  HOWARD)  Life  and  Adventures.  Portrait.  8vo.  15s. 
-  Theory  and  Practice  of  Gunnery.     Plates.     8vo.    21s. 

-  Construction  of  Bridges  and  the  Passage  of  Rivers, 
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(Wit.)  Horse-Shoeing;  As  it  Is,  and  As  it  Should  be. 


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DRINKWATER'S    (JOHN)    History  of   the  Siege    of    Gibraltar, 

1779-1783.    With  a  Description  and  Account  of  that  Garrison  from  the 
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DUCANGE'S  MEDIEVAL  LATIN-ENGLISH  DICTIONARY.    Translated 

hy  Rev.  E.  A.  DAYMAN,  M.A.    Small  4to.      [In  preparation. 

DU  CHAILLU'S  (PAUL  B.)  EQUATORIAL  AFRICA,  with 
Accounts  of  the  Gorilla,  the  Nest-building  Ape,  Chimpanzee,  Croco- 
dile, &c.  Illustrations.  Svo.  21*. 

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DYER'S  (THOS.  H.)  History  of  Modern  Europe,  from  the  taking 
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EASTLAKE'S  (SiR  CHARLES)  Contributions  to  the  Literature  of 

the  Fine  Arts.    With  Memoir  of  the  Author,  and  Selections  from  his 
Correspondence.    By  LADY  EASTLAKE.    2  Vols.    Svo.    24*. 


PUBLISHED  BY  MR.  MURRAY.  11 


EDWARDS'  (W.  H.)  Voyage  up  the  River  Amazons,  including  a 
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EIGHT  MONTHS  AT  ROME,  daring  the  Vatican  Council,  with 
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ELDON'S  (LORD)  Public  and  Private  Life,  with  Selections  from 
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ELLESMERE'S  (LORD)  Two  Sieges  of  Vienna  by  the  Turks. 
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ELLIS'S  (W.)  Madagascar,  including  a  Journey  to  the  Capital, 
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ELPHINSTONE'S    (Hon.  MOTOTSTUART)   History  of  India— the 

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and  STANHOPE. 
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DEAN  HOWSON.    Svo.    12s. 


Recollections  of  a  Dean.— Bishop  of 
Carlisle. 

Cathedral  Canons  and  their  Work. — 
Canon  Norris. 

Cathedrals  in  Ireland,  Past  and  Fu- 
ture.— Dean  of  Cashel. 

Cathedrals  in  their  Missionary  Aspect. 
-^A.  J.  B.  Beresford  Hope. 

Cathedral  Foundations  in  Kelation  to 
Religious  Thought. — Canon  West- 
cott. 


Cathedral  Churches  of  the  Old  Foun- 
dation.— Edward  A.  Freeman. 

Welsh  Cathedrals. — Canon  Perowne. 

Education  of  Choristers. — Sir  F.  Gore 
Ouseley. 

Cathedral  Schools. — Canon  Durham. 

Cathedral  Reform. — Chancellor  Mas- 
singberd. 

Relation  of  the  Chapter  to  the  Bishop. 
Chancellor  Benson. 

Architecture  of  the  Cathedral 
Churches. — Canon  Venables. 

ELZE'S  (KARL)  Life  of  Lord  Byron.    With  a  Critical  Essay  on 
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Holy   Sepulchre  and  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem. 


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12  LIST  OP  WORKS 


FLEMING'S  (PROFESSOR)  Student's  Manual  of  Moral  Philosophy. 
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FLOWER  GARDEN.    By  KEY.  THOS.  JAMES.    Fcap.  Svo.    Is. 
FORD'S  (RICHARD)  Gatherings  from  Spain.    Post  Svo.    3s.  6d. 
FORSYTE'S  (WILLIAM)  Life  and  Times  of  Cicero.  With  Selections 

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FORSTER'S  (Jons)  Life  of  Jonathan  Swift.    Vol.  I.     1667-1711. 

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FOSS'  (Edward)  Biographia  Juridica,  or  Biographical  Dictionary 
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FRANCE.    %*  See  MAKKHAM — SMITH— Student's. 

FRENCH  (THE)  in  Algiers ;  The  Soldier  of  the  Foreign  Legion — 
and  the  Prisoners  of  Abd-el-Kadir.  Translated  by  Lady  DUFF  GORDON. 
Post  Svo.  2s. 

FRERE'S  (  SIR  BARTLE  )  Indian  Missions.    Small  Svo.    2s.  Qd. 

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Future  Famines  in  India.    With  Maps.    Crown  Svo.      5s. 

GALTON'S  (FRAHOIS)  Art  of  Travel ;  or,  Hints  on  the  Shifts  and 
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GERMANY  (HISTORY  OF).    See  MARKHAM. 

GIBBON'S  (EDWARD)   History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the 

Koman  Empire.    Edited  by  MILMAN  and  GUIZOT.    Edited,  with  Notes, 
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Dr.  WM.  SMITH.    Woodcuts.    Post  8vo.    7s.  6d. 


PUBLISHED  BY  MR.  MURRAY.  13 

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GLADSTONE'S  (W.  E.)  Financial  Statements  of  1853, 1860,  63-65. 

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Three  Tracts.    Collected  Edition.    With  a  new  Preface.    8vo.    7*.  6d. 
GLEIG'S  (G.  R.)  Campaigns  of  the  British  Army  at  Washington 

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—  Story  of  the  Battle  of  Waterloo.    Post  8vo.  3s.  6d. 

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CUNNINGHAM.    Vignettes.    4  Vols.    8vo.    30s. 
GORDON'S  (SiR  ALEX.)  Sketches  of  German  Life,  and  Scenes 

from  the  War  of  Liberation.    Post  8vo.    3».  6d. 

-  (LADY    DUFF)  Amber- Witch :    A  Trial   for  Witch- 
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GRAMMARS.    See  CURTIUS  ;    HALL  ;    HUTTON  ;    KING  EDWARD  ; 

MATTHI^:;  MAETZNEB;  SMITH. 
GREECE.    See  GROTE— SMITH— Student. 

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GFIZOT'S  (M.)  Meditations  on  Christianity,  and  on  the  Religious 

Questions  of  the  Day.    3  Vols.    Posts 7 J.   n* 
GROTE'S  (GEOROE)  History  of  Greece.     From  the  Earliest  Times 

to  the  close  of  the  generation  contemporary  with  the  death  of  Alexander 

the  Great.   Library  Edition.    Portrait,  Maps,  and  Plans.    10  Vols.   8vo. 

120s.  Cabinet  Edition.  Portrait  and  Plans.  12  Vols.    Post  8vo.  6s.  each. 

PLATO,  and  other  Companions  of  Socrates.  3  Vols.  8vo.  45s. 

—  ARISTOTLE.    2  Vols.    8vo.     32s. 

Minor     Works.      With    Critical      Remarks     on     his 

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his    Posthumous   Papers.    With    an   Introduction.     By   ALEXANDER 
BAIN,  M.A.    8vo. 

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Private   Memoranda,    and    Original   Letters    to   and  from    Various 
Friends.    By  Mrs.  Grote.    Portrait.    8vo.     12*. 
(MRS.)  Memoir  of  Ary  Scheffer.  Portrait.  8vo.   8s.  6d. 

HALL'S  (T.  D.)  School  Manual  of  English  Grammar.  With 
Copious  Exercises.  12mo.  3s.  6d. 

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16mo.  Is. 

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14  LIST  OF  WORKS 


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22  LIST  OF  WORKS 


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26  LIST  OF  WORKS 


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RUXTON'S  (GEORGE  F.)  Travels  in  Mexico;  with  Adventures 
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Exercises.    Post  8vo.    3».  6d. 

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[Nearly  ready. 


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French  Principia.  Part  I.  A  First  Course,  containing  a 

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30  LIST  OF  WORKS 


STUDENT'S  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY;  from  the  Creation 
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